Police have arrested a 25-year-old Cupertino man in connection with an incident that occurred Feb. 1, in San Jose, where the suspect allegedly impersonated a police officer, then sexually assaulted a woman in his vehicle, according to the Santa Cara County Sheriff’s Office.
Hugo Cuseallpa was arrested Feb. 11 after he was identified through several tips from the public after the Sheriff’s Office released a sketch of the suspect, Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said.
Cuseallpa was arrested and charged with rape, sodomy and lewd and lascivious acts and is currently being held in the Santa Clara County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. Feb. 1, police say Cuseallpa allegedly pulled over alongside a woman walking on Monterey Road in San Jose. After accepting a ride, the woman entered the vehicle, described by the Sheriff’s Office as a white, mid-1990s Dodge Durango. The suspect told the woman he was a police officer and displayed a blue and gold shield-type badge.
Next, Cuseallpa allegedly threatened to arrest the woman if she did not do what he ordered her to do, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and he drove her to an undisclosed parking lot and sexually assaulted her.
During a recent search of Cuseallpa’s vehicle and residence, deputies found a badge that matched the description provided by the victim and discovered other “various police-type equipment” that was displayed during the sexual assault, Stenderup said.
“We would like to thank the public for their tips in identifying Cuseallpa,” he added. “Law enforcement is about partnering with the community and we are grateful that the community gave us the information to help us solve this case.”
