The man suspected in the attempted rape of a woman who threw herself of a Point Dume cliff to escape him was arrested Friday, according Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s officials.
Suspect Christian Marcus Verdin, 31, was arrested in an area within the City of San Bernardino and taken into custody without incident.
The 35-year-old victim had been reportedly jogging in Point Dume Preserve State Park on March 12. At the conclusion of her run she walked to the edge of a cliff and was then grabbed from behind by the suspect, who, she told authorities, attempted to sexually assault her. The victim struggled and was able to break free, and in the process of evading the attacker she ran down a hillside and jumped an unknown distance, and slid down the cliff.
A local resident who lives in the area said he talked to several witnesses who heard the woman’s cries and who went to her aid.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. She sustained abrasions and bruises predominantly from the fall down the face of the cliff.
On March 30, Malibu/Lost Hills Station detectives received notification that a suspect in the attack had been identified by Los Angeles County Crime Lab. Crime Lab technicians who were able to obtain DNA samples from items of evidence recovered from the crime scene on the day of the attack. A check through the DNA databank revealed a DNA match to suspect Verdin.
A thorough background check of the suspect’s criminal history through various department investigative resources revealed he had prior addresses in, and he frequented, the City of San Bernardino. Numerous Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Detectives worked diligently with the San Bernardino Police Department during the course of the last few days in an attempt to locate and arrest Verdin.