Arraignment set for Cathedral City man accused of rape

A Cathedral City man suspected of luring his ex- girlfriend to his residence and raping her is scheduled to be arraigned today.
Felipe Sandoval Jr., 24, is charged with one felony count each of rape by force and kidnapping and a misdemeanor count of willfully harming a child. He is free on a $75,000 bond.
Someone reported a sexual assault in the 69000 block of El Dobe Road on Aug. 16. Sandoval got the woman into his residence under “false pretenses,” saying he needed help with something, then forced her inside and raped her, Cathedral City police Lt. Charles Robinson alleged.
The woman, whose age was not released, had been running errands and left her young child in her vehicle when she went to Sandoval’s residence, the lieutenant said.
“He created the situation by preventing her from getting to the car and creating a dangerous situation (for the child),” Robinson said.
Sandoval is not the father of the child, an infant, the lieutenant said.