The Santa Cruz Police Department arrested a suspect who faces accusations of entering a home of a woman who didn’t know him in the Seabright neighborhood and committing sexual battery against her as she was sleeping earlier this week.
The suspect, Lennon Koshlaychuk, 24, faces charges of assault with intent to rape during the commission of a burglary on Tuesday. After using security footage to identify a suspect, officers located and arrested him Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Ben Lomond. He’s being held without bail in Santa Cruz County Jail, according to online records.
At about 11 p.m. Tuesday night, police were called to a home in the Effey Street area of Santa Cruz for a reported sexual assault. A woman told police she screamed after she woke up to a stranger sexually assaulting her. The suspect fled and she immediately called 911.
Officers arrived on the scene and enclosed a perimeter around the neighborhood but after two hours, they hadn’t found the suspect.
“Notably, detectives learned the arrestee had recently moved into the Seabright area, and it is believed he fled back into and hid within his residence during the initial perimeter and search,” police said, in a Thursday news release.
Police issued reverse 911 notifications to nearby residents and a K-9 team searched for the suspect. Officers asked residents with security cameras or recording devices to review their footage and contact police with any information about the incident.
Capitola Police officers assisted by using a drone to search the area.
Police thanked the survivor for her “strength and partnership,” the Seabright neighborhood for their concern, and the Santa Cruz, Capitola and Sheriff’s Office law enforcement for their efforts and assistance.