A 30-year-old man from Clarkston has been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman from the Spokane area in Pullman.

The incident began on Wednesday morning when Pullman Police were called to Pullman Regional Hospital regarding a reported sexual assault. According to court documents, the woman, who resides in Airway Heights, was visiting a friend in Pullman. On Tuesday night, she and her friend were at a local bar where they encountered a group that included Victor Villela. The alleged victim had not met Villela prior to that evening. Following their time at the bar, the group returned to the woman’s friend’s apartment, but after an argument, the guests left in Villela’s vehicle. He dropped off his passengers but did not let the alleged victim out before taking her to another apartment in Pullman, where the alleged assault occurred. The woman left the apartment while Villela was in the shower and walked back to her friend’s residence. Villela later told police that the encounter was consensual. He was arrested on Wednesday afternoon.

During his first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court on Thursday, Judge Roger Sandberg set Villela’s bond at $25,000. He is scheduled to return to court on Monday.