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Santa Rosa aide arrested in alleged sexual abuse of developmentally disabled adult

Investigators say surveillance footage shows the victim was touched against her will during job-training sessions

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Overview

  • Apolinario Araki ‘Junior’ Santos, 61, was arrested May 27 and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of lewd acts on a dependent adult by a caretaker.
  • Santa Rosa City Schools administrators notified police April 14 after an employer partner in the Transition Program reported multiple instances of inappropriate touching during the victim’s workday.
  • Detectives reviewed business surveillance and determined Santos intentionally touched the victim’s intimate parts without her consent and that she was unable to consent because of her developmental disability.
  • The Transition Program places 18- to 22-year-olds with developmental disabilities in job-training partnerships with local employers, where Santos served as an instructional assistant.
  • Santa Rosa police are asking anyone with information to contact the Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Team at 707-543-3595 as the investigation continues.