Glendale Rape Suspect Tracked After Leaving Car Keys at Scene

GLENDALE — Police tracked down and then arrested a man suspected of raping a 15-year-old girl after he left behind his car keys and some of his clothes at the scene.

The girl, whose name was not released, was standing at a pay phone at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the 4600 block of San Fernando Road when 26-year-old Jose Gomar accosted her with a knife, police said. Glendale Police Sgt. Rick Young said Gomar dragged her into a patch of dimly lighted bushes near the pay phone.

“He took off all his clothes and then took off her clothes,” said Young. “And during that time, the keys must have gotten lost.”

While Gomar was searching for his clothes to put them back on, Young said, the girl was able to grab his shirt and flee. When patrol officers arrived minutes later, the man was gone but had left a pile of clothes behind.

Young said detectives tracked Gomar after his keys were matched with a white car parked just a block away from the scene. They located Gomar at about 3 a.m. Monday at his Los Angeles home. He was arrested on suspicion of rape and kidnapping. Gomar is being held on $250,000 bail.

“During that time of night, that’s a highly trafficked area,” said Young. “The girl said she could see cars driving by. He must have been pretty desperate to do this.”

The girl was treated at a local hospital and released.