Yosemite park employee raped, strangled co-worker on first day he met her, feds say
A Yosemite National Park employee raped, beat and strangled one of his co-workers May 31, the evening he first met the woman, court documents say.
Nathan Baptista, 36, no longer works as a hospitality employee for the park situated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, according to federal prosecutors.
He is now charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse in a federal indictment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced in a June 20 news release.
The indictment was returned June 20, one week after Baptista’s arrest on June 12, court records show.
Information regarding his legal representation wasn’t listed the afternoon of June 21.
The woman Baptista is accused of raping also worked as a hospitality employee, according to a criminal complaint written by a National Park Service special agent.
She reported that she and a friend were heading home and walking along the park’s Meadow trail when they stopped at a house where Yosemite hospitality workers live, including Baptista, in May, the criminal complaint says.
The woman said her friend knew Baptista, who was outside the residence drinking wine when he invited both of them to come over for a drink, according to the criminal complaint.
This was the first time she met Baptista, she said in an interview, the criminal complaint says.
Baptista tried to kiss her outside his home, twice, when her friend wasn’t nearby, according to the criminal complaint, which says she “pushed” him away during both attempts.
The woman reported after her friend eventually left, she went to help Baptista start a fire in a fireplace inside his home, according to the criminal complaint.
However, he then “forced her onto the couch,” got “on top of her” and raped her, the criminal complaint says.
He repeatedly hit her and strangled her during the rape as she tried to stop him, the woman reported.
The woman left the home once Baptista fell asleep, the criminal complaint says.
She was left with injuries and bruises on her body and face, which were documented during an examination at the Yosemite Medical Clinic, according to the criminal complaint.
Baptista would face up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine if he’s convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, prosecutors said.
This story was originally published June 21, 2024 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Yosemite park employee raped, strangled co-worker on first day he met her, feds say."
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