SANTA CRUZ (California) SENTINEL

December 2, 2006

Ag crew boss suspected of rape

By Daniel Lopez
Sentinel staff writer

A 56-year-old Watsonville man was arrested Thursday on suspicion he raped a woman.

Sheriff's Sgt. Robin Mitchell said Narciso Estrada, who also uses the last name Gonzalez, was taken into custody around 6:30 p.m. at his Blackburn Street home.

Mitchell said Estrada, a crew boss with a local agriculture company, took the victim to a remote area near the 600 block of Riverside Drive and attacked her about 12:40 p.m. Thursday.

"He's a person that she knew and trusted," said Mitchell, who declined to say exactly how Estrada and the victim knew each other. But, she added, "She's not an employee but she does have people in her life that do work for him. This isn't the type of person she would normally be afraid of."

Mitchell said the woman, who is in her early 20s, fought off Estrada during the attack and managed to get away from him. She ran to the side of Highway 129 where a taxi driver stopped to help and called 911, Mitchell said.

"She was extremely traumatized and distraught," she said.

Mitchell said Estrada threatened to harm the victim if she told anyone.

The victim was taken to Watsonville Community Hospital where she was treated and released.

Sheriff's deputies and detectives took Estrada into custody after the woman identified him, Mitchell said.

Estrada was booked into County Jail on suspicion of forcible rape and multiple counts of sexual battery with force. His bail was set at $250,000.

Though Estrada has no prior history of similar cases, authorities worry there may be incidents that have gone unreported.

"We have concerns that because of his position of authority he might have taken advantage of other women, especially migrant farmworkers," Mitchell said.

Mitchell estimated that more than 95 percent of the sexual assault incidents reported to her involve suspects that knew the victim.

It is also common for people with authority to commit such crimes, she said.

"Whether it be teachers or doctors or parents it's not uncommon for them to take advantage of women or children," she said. "It's also more common for it to go unreported because they are in those positions of authority."