(12:08) SANTA CRUZ – Santa Cruz police have arrested a transient for attempted sexual assault. Officers were dispatched to the Walgreens on Front Street shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, after a female employee reported that a man had pulled her into the bathroom and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim was able to fight back and the suspect fled from the store. Shortly after, police found a man on the San Lorenzo Levee under the Broadway Bridge matching the suspect description. Officers arrested 34-year-old Billy Patton for assault with intent to commit rape, false imprisonment with force, sexual battery and burglary. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail. Upon further investigation, police learned that Patton had been released from Santa Clara County Jail less than 24 hours before the attack in Santa Cruz. (S.G.)
