SAN DIEGO (Scripps News San Diego) — A man was arrested on kidnapping and sexual assault charges after police discovered a body inside his home in San Diego’s Palm City neighborhood.
The incident began on March 15 just after noon when San Diego Police received a call regarding a kidnapping with a gun on Palm Avenue and Saturn Boulevard.
When officers arrived, they found a 43-year-old woman who told them she had been held captive by a man for 24 hours.
Police said they found a body inside a home where a woman said she was held captive. (KGTV)
The woman told officers she had known the man for approximately a week before the incident.
“The woman stated that the male had threatened her with a gun, sexually assaulted her, and there was a dead body located inside the residence,” the department said. “She escaped from the residence and flagged down a passing motorist to call the police.”
When officers arrived at the home on the 2200 block of Citrus Avenue, they spoke with a man identified as Rafael Banda.
After checking inside the home, officers found “what appeared to be a deceased adult female.” The identity of the woman is unknown.
“At this stage of the investigation, it is unclear what caused her death,” the department continued.
Banda, 44, was arrested and booked into jail for sexual assault under duress and kidnapping.
Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2023, by KGTV in San Diego, an E.W. Scripps Company.
