The federal authorities announced recently the indictment against a suspect accused of raping an employee of Yosemite National Park last month.
Nathan Baptista was named as the suspect in a press statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, on Thursday. After a grand juror indictment on Thursday, the 36-year-old was charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault.
Authorities accuse the suspect of sexually assaulting a Yosemite National Park worker and choking her at the end of May.
According to court documents, Baptista raped a female employee of a park on May 31 2024 after meeting her the night before, read a press release.
The statement continued, “This case was the result of an investigation by the National Park Service.” Arin C. Heinz, Assistant U.S. attorney, is prosecuting this case.
Documents filed in court show that Baptista worked for Yosemite Hospitality at the time. The rape occurred in a home that the suspect and his co-workers shared.
The documents stated that “[the victim] reported that while she and her friend were walking back home, they stopped at the house that the subject (Nate) shares with other Yosemite Hospitality staff… [the victim] indicated that when she was in the living room with the subject and nobody else was present, that’s when he attacked her.”
The subject was physically violent and had visible bruises from the incident.
The maximum sentence that the suspect can receive is life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Baptista’s punishment would be decided at the court’s discretion after considering any applicable statutory elements and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. These guidelines take into consideration several variables.
The incident is being investigated by the authorities. At this time, no additional details are available.
