LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A 25-year-old Lafayette man was arrested on Wednesday after he reportedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old female after unlawfully entering a home.
According to a news release from the Lafayette Police Department, Preston Mendoza was arrested on charges of rape, burglary, intimidation and confinement after the incident.
At around 1:36 a.m. on Wednesday, officers responded to a call for assistance regarding a sexual assault that reportedly occurred at a home on Underwood St. The initial information provided to officers was that an adult male, later identified as Mendoza, unlawfully entered a home and then reportedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old female.
The release said that before police arrived at the scene, Mendoza reportedly fled the area. Through an investigation and evidence, police identified and located Mendoza as the suspect in the incident. Mendoza was then arrested without incident.
“The collaborative effort of the patrol division, crime scene investigators and the detectives working on the case was pivotal in quickly identifying a suspect and making an arrest,” the release said. “The Lafayette Police Department would like to thank the members of the Indiana State Police laboratory as well as those from our community who assisted us with this case.”
Court records show that in October, Mendoza was accused of filming a woman using the tanning beds at Planet Fitness while she was undressing. Mendoza was reportedly an employee at Planet Fitness and lied to police about his involvement, claiming it was a gym “regular” who had been filming the woman.
Police later learned it was Mendoza, however, after seeing security footage which Mendoza claimed wasn’t working at the time of the incident.
He was charged with one count of voyeurism, a Level 6 felony, and posted a $450 bond.
