Homeless man accused of sexually assaulting unconscious woman in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- A 29-year-old homeless man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was knocked unconscious in Long Beach was charged Thursday with rape.

Alvin Marba was charged with forcible rape, assault with intent to commit rape and battery. The charges include an allegation of inflicting great bodily harm.

Long Beach police said the assault occurred at 2:37 a.m. Tuesday near Alamitos Avenue and Fourth Street, where Marba allegedly attacked the woman until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulted her.

Sex Crimes detectives obtained security footage of the attack and located Marba around 12:45 p.m. the same day near Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue, where he was taken into custody, police said.

Marba was booked into the Long Beach City Jail, with bail set at $100,000, according to the department.

"This alarming criminal act is deeply concerning, and the response of our officers and detectives underscores LBPD's commitment to identifying and arresting individuals responsible for harming others," Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement.

"The work of the responding officers and handling detectives, coupled with our strategic use of technology and security video, allowed us to swiftly identify and arrest the suspect believed to be responsible for this heinous sexual assault."

Detectives released a photo of Marba and asked that any other possible victims come forward.

Anyone with information was urged to contact the Sex Crimes Detail at 562-570-7368. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.