Former Yosemite National Park employee allegedly raped colleague

According to federal prosecutors, a former Yosemite National Park employee raped a woman who worked with him on the park’s hospitality team.

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted Nathan Thomas Baptista, 36, on aggravated sexual assault charges after investigators said he raped and strangled a co-worker at his park home on May 31.

The woman told National Park Service investigators that she was walking home with a friend when she met Baptista, who knew her friend and invited her to his home, court documents state. After the friend left, Baptista raped her, the woman said.

Baptista denied the allegations to investigators, court records show. He was scheduled to be released Monday after his family paid $10,000 bail, court records show.

If convicted, Baptista could face life in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.