A transient who recently traveled to Southern California from the Midwest was arrested Friday on suspicion of jumping a woman on an East Village roadside, dragging her into some shrubbery and sexually assaulting her.
A patrol officer took 51-year-old Gary Ryan Cushinberry into custody in the 200 block of 17th Street about 6:45 a.m., according to San Diego Police.
Late on the evening of Nov. 5, Cushinberry allegedly grabbed a 26-year old pedestrian walking by herself in the 400 block of 13th Street, pulled her off the sidewalk and assaulted her before fleeing.
Detectives identified Cushinberry — a recent transplant from Indiana who has been living on the streets of San Diego — as the alleged perpetrator by means of “several tips and leads,” Lt. Jason Weeden said.
Cushinberry was booked into San Diego Central Jail, where he was being held on $300,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
–City News Service