After five years, police find new leads and make arrest in sexual assault

BARSTOW — After taking a second look at a sexual assault case that had gone cold, police arrested a suspect on Friday.

Charles Ryan Johnston, 26, was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted rape and sexual assault committed during a burglary, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department jail booking logs.

It is rare that a cold sexual assault case turns up leads after five years, Espinoza said.

“You might say that time was on our side this time,” he said.

Police believe that Johnston entered a house on Church Street in February 2003 and found the victim, then 17 years old, at home alone. Before the teen could look at her assailant, Johnston took her by surprise, blindfolded and tied her up, said Barstow Police Department Sgt. Andy Espinoza, Sr. After sexually assaulting her, he beat her and left her unconscious, a Barstow Police Report stated.

Investigative leads came to a dead end, and the case was suspended in 2005. But while looking through old case files recently, Det. Keith Libby came across the case and contacted the teen again, Espinoza said. After talking to the woman and investigating further, he pulled Johnston out of the pool of previous suspects as the perpetrator.

Espinoza said the police have some biological evidence in the case but are waiting for lab results to determine whether it is linked to Johnston.
Johnston knew the girl at the time of the assault, Espinoza said.

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