A 19-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder. Detectives were questioning 19-year-old Jake Powers on Tuesday about another incident when they connected him to a case from July, KTLA reports.
Police say Powers invited a young woman to a home near Day Creek Boulevard and Banyan Street in Rancho Cucamonga on the evening of July 8. Powers and the woman had connected on Tinder, and the victim—identified as Ana, 18—told KTLA that she frequently used the app to meet people and does not consider it "a hook-up app." She said said that Powers seemed nice, and she figured they would watch a movie, talk for a bit and then she would return home.
Ana arrived shortly before midnight. Though Powers claimed to live in the home he met her at, Ana said he soon led her to the rear of the house where he threw her to the ground, covered her mouth with his hand and sexually assaulted her.
Ana said that Powers' profile turned out to be a fake, and police were initially unable to track him down. However, police say Powers approached a 16-year-old girl in the 5400 block of Topaz in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday as she got off a school bus. The girl was frightened because Powers was obscuring his face with a hoodie, and she screamed. Powers fled, but was caught on surveillance cameras, and his photo was circulated on social media. Powers eventually went to the police himself, and during questioning, police connected him to Ana's case.
Powers has been booked on suspicion of assault with the intent to commit rape and sexual penetration with a foreign object. Investigators are concerned that Powers may have assaulted other women, and encourage anyone with information to contact the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at 909-477-2800.
