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By Lookout Staff

September 28 -- Police on Friday afternoon arrested a 17-year-old suspect who raped a woman at knifepoint after she caught him burglarizing her home late Thursday night.

The victim had arrived at her residence on the 1100 block of Princeton Avenue at 10 p.m. and found that her house had been ransacked, police said.

“She was immediately confronted by the suspect who was armed with a knife,” said Lt. Alex Padilla, the Police Department spokesman. “The suspect tied up the victim and sexually assaulted her.”

At 2:10 a.m., the suspect -- a Hispanic juvenile from Oxnard -- took the victim’s ATM card and fled in her vehicle, Padilla said.

“After the suspect fled, the victim untied herself and ran to a neighbor’s house and called the police,” he said.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where she is in stable condition, police said.

Santa Monica Police, with the assistance of officers from the Oxnard Police Department, arrested the suspect in the 3500 block of La Costa Avenue in Oxnard driving the victim’s 2003 Mercedes, Padilla said. There were no other occupants in the vehicle.

Police recovered evidence from the vehicle, as well as from the suspect’s residence, linking him to the crime, police said.

Detectives believe the suspect -- who entered the home through a doggie door -- knew the victim after she hired him to do some handiwork at her townhouse, police said.

"Although this crime was vicious and brutal, it was not a random attack," Police Chief Tim Jackman told reporters. "Instead, we believe that the victim was specifically targeted."

The suspect was transported to the Santa Monica jail, where he will be charged with burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and grand theft auto.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with additional information should call the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8427 (24 hours) or Detectives at (310) 458-8451 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m..

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463).