SAN BERNARDINO - An employee at Patton State Hospital has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a patient in late January.

Daniel Alawoya, 57, was arrested and booked on Tuesday into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on charges of sodomy and forced oral copulation. Bail is $25,000.

Alawoya was seized by state police while working a hospital shift at noon, said Cindy Barrett, hospital spokeswoman.

Alawoya had been under investigation after a female patient accused him of rape in early February, hospital officials said.

Hospital officials at the time declined to place Alawoya on leave pending the outcome.

They instead opted to move him to a post without interaction with patients, Barrett said.

Patton Executive Director Octavio Luna fired Alawoya, who had worked at the mental hospital for about 16 months, on Tuesday, officials said.

The 29-year-old alleged victim, whose name is being withheld by The Sun, said in a telephone interview that an orderly raped her in the early morning hours of Jan. 28 or 29.

On Wednesday, the alleged victim said she felt vindicated.

"I have cried - I have tried suicide," the woman said from a hospital phone. "But now I feel vindicated and I want to press charges."