A man was arrested after he allegedly attempted to rape a woman in a public Westminster area.

The suspect was identified as Ernesto Nuno, a 41-year-old Long Beach resident, according to Westminster police.

On Saturday around 11:45 p.m., officers responded to reports of an attempted sexual assault behind a CVS store on the 15400 block of Brookhurst Street.

The female victim told police that while she was sitting down in an alleyway, Nuno allegedly approached her and exposed his genitals. He then asked her to “orally copulate him,” to which she refused, police said. 

“When the victim refused, Nuno allegedly began punching the victim in the face and head and attempted to remove her pants while using his body weight to hold her down,” according to arrest documents.

At that point, the victim retrieved her pocketknife and stabbed Nuno which ultimately stopped the assault, police said. 

Arriving officers later spotted Nuno near the crime scene with an injury to his right hand, consistent with being stabbed. 

He was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail on charges of attempted rape and assault with intent to commit rape.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Westminster Police Department at 714-548-3783. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS  or online at occrimestoppers.org.