Porterville man accused of raping ex-girlfriend

A Porterville man accused of raping his ex-girlfriend after luring her to a local motel by telling her he would give her diapers for their 1-year-old child, has been arrested.

The man, identified by the Porterville Police Department as 28-year-old Matthew Kelley, is being held on suspicion of rape, domestic violence and for violating a restraining order.

At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, Porterville police received a call from the Tulare Police Department advising a 38-year-old Tulare woman had called them and reported she had been beaten and raped by Kelley.

The woman said the incident happened Monday at a Porterville motel.

Porterville police detectives contacted the woman, who had visible injuries. The woman said Kelley called her Monday and asked her to visit him in Porterville, and he would give her the diapers.

The woman reportedly visited her ex-boyfriend from Tulare and the two went to the local motel where Kelley had already rented a room.

Police said the two became involved in a heated argument and Kelley began assaulting the woman. Kelley then ripped the woman’s clothes off of her and forced her to have unwanted sex, the PPD reports.

Detectives learned Kelley was still checked in at the motel where he was later found and arrested.

He was booked at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department where he is being held in lieu of $150,000 bail.