Man Arrested on Sex Assault Charges Was San Diego Tea Party Spokesman

Members of the San Diego Tea Party have confirmed that their one-time spokesman is the man arrested on charges of raping a woman on Fiesta Island, it was reported Saturday.

UT San Diego reported that Michael John Kobulnicky, 50, of Lemon Grove, had been the Tea Party's public voice up until last January, when he took a leave for personal reasons.

The newspaper reported that San Diego Tea Party issued a statement saying "our hearts and prayers go out to the victim," and added that Kobulnicky had been stripped of his role with the movement.

Kobulnicky was arrested Thursday afternoon, according to San Diego police, and charged with raping the 56-year-old victim on Feb. 25. Kobulnicky allegedly had spotted the woman as she walked on Linda Vista Road, offered her a ride and took her past her house to Fiesta Island.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound suspect allegedly pulled the victim out of the vehicle and raped her, then drove off. Surveillance tape from an earlier gas station purchase led to numerous tips identifying Kobulnicky, police said.

Kobulnicky, who is employed as a landscape supervisor, was booked into county jail for suspicion of rape, kidnapping and forcible sex with a foreign object. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Monday afternoon.

-City News Service