Santa Rosa man accused of sexually abusing disabled woman

(KRON) — An instructional assistant who works with developmentally disabled young adults in Santa Rosa was arrested Tuesday and accused of sexual abuse.

Police identified the instructional assistant as Apolinario Araki “Junior” Santos, 61, of Santa Rosa.

The alleged victim is a 20-year-old woman who participates in a “Transition Program” at Ridgeway High School, the Santa Rosa Police Department said. Police said the program helps young adults who have developmental disabilities acquire job and life skills through partnerships with local employers.

Police said Santos committed lewd acts against the disabled woman. “Santos was working as an Instructional Assistant for the Transition Program at the time these incidents were believed to have occurred,” SRPD wrote.

Police were first alerted last month by Santa Rosa City Schools administrators who received a complaint. The complaint, filed by one of SRCS’s employer partners, stated that Santos inappropriately touched the victim “multiple times during her workday at their business,” police wrote.

Detectives reviewed video recordings from the business. Investigators said they determined that Santos intentionally touched “intimate parts of the victim against her will” and that the victim was unable to consent to sexual acts due to her developmental disability.

On Tuesday afternoon, detectives found Santos at home and booked him to a Sonoma County jail.

The police department wrote, “Due to the sensitive nature of this incident, we will not be releasing the name or workplace of the victim. We understand that some parents have adult children who participate in the Transition Program. We encourage you to talk to your children about body boundaries, consent, and how to recognize inappropriate behavior.”

Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the SRPD Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Team at 707-543-3595.