Springdale man arrested for rape and kidnapping

SPRINGDALE, Arkansas – A 58-year-old Springdale man was arrested June 28 on charges of rape, kidnapping and burglary, according to the Washington County arrest report.

On June 26, the Springdale Police Department (SPD) received a report accusing Victor Mendez-Diaz of rape and threatening the victim if she ever contacted the police.

According to an affidavit, he raped the victim approximately six times starting in April 2024. The victim allegedly told Mendez-Diaz “no.” In one of the incidents, Mendez-Diaz allegedly forced the victim into a room and locked the door when she tried to leave.

The affidavit states that Springdale investigators saw text messages from Menendez-Diaz in which she apologized for the rapes and wrote, “It must have only happened about four times.”

Bail for Mendez-Diaz was set at $250,000.

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