A man suspected of assaulting a woman, who jumped off a Malibu cliff and slid down a 200-foot embankment to escape, was arrested Friday in San Bernardino, authorities said.
Christian Marcus Verdin, 31, was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and robbery, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The woman had just finished jogging about noon March 12 above Point Dume State Beach when the assailant grabbed her from behind. She struggled with the man before breaking free and jumping over the beachfront cliff, Whitmore said.
“She fought off her attacker by literally jumping over the cliff and sliding down 200 feet to the beach,” Whitmore said.
The suspect’s arrest stemmed from DNA evidence gathered by investigators, Whitmore said.
The victim was treated for cuts and bruises that she suffered while sliding down the cliff.
–Richard Winton