CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Tuesday Clearlake Police officers arrested a man who is alleged to have sexually assaulted his girlfriend.

Sgt. Nick Bennett said police arrested Jonathan Vega, 23, of Clearlake following a traffic stop.

On Saturday, April 6, at approximately 9 a.m. Clearlake Police were dispatched to a report of a sexual assault, Bennett said.

The 20-year-old victim reported she had returned home after an evening out with friends and had been sexually assaulted by her boyfriend, Bennett said.

After telling Vega that she did not want him in the residence anymore and their relationship was over, Vega allegedly began destroying her belongings and furniture, Bennett said. The woman subsequently took their two children and fled to safety.

Bennett said Clearlake Police detectives were notified and called in to conduct the investigation, with the suspect being identified as Vega.

He said Clearlake Police patrol officers and investigators conducted a search Saturday and Sunday for Vega but were unable to locate him.

They developed information that Vega would be traveling to St. Helena early Tuesday morning to work in a vineyard and the detectives had a description of the vehicle he would be in, according to Bennett.

On Tuesday at approximately 5:45 a.m. Clearlake Police detectives Ryan Peterson and Travis Lenz observed the vehicle Vega was reported to be riding in heading south toward Napa County. Bennett said a traffic stop was made and Vega was located in the passenger seat and arrested.

Vega was booked into the Lake County Jail for rape of a drugged victim, sex with a minor, sexual battery and battery on a non-cohabitating spouse. Jail records indicated his bail was set at $100,000.

While the alleged victim is not now a minor, Bennett said her relationship with Vega started when she was 16, allowing police to charge him with having sex with a minor.

Bennett said Clearlake Police wanted to acknowledge and thank the Lake County Rape Crisis Center for its assistance in this case.