The suspect in a sexual assault on a minor has been extradited from North Carolina.

Former Imperial resident Joseph Baker, 50, has been returned to the Valley and will stand trial on four counts of sexual assault by restraint. Baker had been identified as a suspect in a sexual assault on a minor. Imperial Police detectives interviewed witnesses and the victim, now an adult, and determined the crime had occurred. A $2 million warrant was issued for Baker's arrest. With assistance from the U. S. Marshalls Service, Imperial Police and the Imperial County District Attorney's Office, Baker was arrested February 28, 2024 in North Carolina. He was extradited to Imperial County on March 28, 2024 and is now being held at Imperial County Jail on a $2 million bond. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on April 11, 2024.