Trial being set for Coachella man accused of raping 2 victims in 10 days
A Coachella man accused of committing two sexual assaults in Indio within a 10-day period must stand trial on rape and false imprisonment charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Allen Raul Montano, 32, is accused of raping the women last October and November, with the second assault occurring two days before he was arrested at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal. He is charged with two counts each of rape by force or fear and false imprisonment and one count of oral copulation by force or violence.
Read: Coachella man charged with rape & false imprisonment for Indio sexual assaults
Indio police began searching for Montano on Oct. 24, when a sexual assault victim flagged down a passerby on a roadway in Indio, according to Indio police Sgt. Daniel Marshall.
Detectives reviewed security footage to determine that Montano had made a purchase at a local convenience store around the time of the alleged crime, and they disseminated photos of the suspect to the public. During the investigation, they learned of a second alleged victim, who was assaulted on Nov. 3, two days prior to Montano’s arrest in Thermal, according to the criminal complaint.
On Nov. 5, police received a tip from a citizen, leading to his capture at the airport by Indio police and Riverside County sheriff’s deputies. He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is due back in court May 3 for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment.
