Woodland man arraigned in sex assault; $1 million bail set

A Woodland man arrested on suspicion of beating and sexually assaulting a teenage girl at the city’s cemetery Saturday before allegedly dragging her down a street was arraigned Wednesday in Yolo Superior Court on charges including rape and kidnapping.

Michael Isaiah Hernandez, 18, is being held in Yolo County custody in lieu of $1.125 million bail in the violent attack at Woodland City Cemetery, 800 West St. He faces six allegations, including kidnapping for rape and oral copulation; assault with intent to commit a sex crime on a minor; corporal injury on a person with whom the defendant had a dating or former dating relationship; and dissuading a witness.

Yolo County prosecutors detailed the allegations in a four-page complaint, alleging Hernandez attacked the girl at the cemetery, continuously hit and choked her, dragged her down a city street then told a witness to the alleged attack not to call police, saying to the man, “No cops.”

Yolo Superior Court Commissioner J. Kent O’Mara set a preliminary hearing date of Dec. 16.

Woodland police arrested Hernandez, identified as a transient by police, about 4:20 p.m. Sunday near West Lincoln Avenue and West Main Street, according to arrest records.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 4:59 PM.