SANTA ANA, Calif. (KTLA) – A man was arrested after he entered a Santa Ana apartment Tuesday and sexually assaulted a sleeping woman, police said.
David Ceja, 38, is accused of entering an apartment on the 1300 block of South Standard Avenue and sexually assaulting the woman as she slept.
The victim yelled for help after she felt someone touching her that she knew was not her husband.
“At around 5:30, 5:40 a.m., I was sleeping and then I felt someone touching me,” the victim, who wished to remain unidentified, told KTLA.
“Obviously it wasn’t my husband because he left at around 5 a.m.,” she continued. “When I wake up, I turned my head to the right — it was a random guy. He was touching me.”
The victim’s cry for help prompted the attacker to flee, and also woke her brother who was home at the time.
The victim’s brother chased Ceja out of the apartment and caught him, leading to a physical altercation, according to investigators.
Police said the victim’s brother was able to detain Ceja until officers arrived and arrested him.
The brother recounted the struggle to KTLA.
“I put him in a choke, and he was a little bit fighting me,” he said. “So I ended up jumping and holding onto his neck, then we both fell. My body weight and his body weight both fell on his arm.”
Ceja’s arm was broken and he was treated at the hospital before being sent to jail, police said.
The victim’s brother said he initially thought Ceja was a complete stranger, but later realized he lives in the same complex and often greets the family.
Cpl. Anthony Bertagna with the Santa Ana Police Department mentioned that the victim’s family practices MMA-style fighting.
“My understanding is, the family is all involved in MMA and kickboxing and so, this individual picked the wrong house to attack one of the family members,” Bertagna said.
Ceja was booked into jail on suspicion of burglary and sexual assault, according to the department.