Sheriff’s detectives on Monday arrested a man suspect of brazenly trying to rape a woman in broad daylight Sunday morning in a Poway Park, authorities said.

Ryan Joseph Rasmussen, 39, is accused of grabbing the victim from behind, pulling her to the ground and trying to sexually assault her around 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Poway Community Park on Civic Center Drive, according to sheriff’s officials.

Arrest records listed Rasmussen’s address as just a few hundred yards from the park.

A witness heard the 34-year-old victim scream for help and pulled the suspect off her, sheriff’s Lt. Chad Boudreau said in a statement. As the victim called 911, the suspect fled on a bicycle.


The lieutenant did not say how investigators identified Rasmussen as the suspect.

Detectives arrested him Monday “without incident” on suspicion of assault with intent to commit rape, Boudreau said. Arrest records showed he was taken into custody near the intersection of Pomerado and Poway roads.

Jail records showed he was booked into the downtown San Diego Central Jail late Monday night, and remained in custody Tuesday on $500,000 bail.