ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- Escondido police arrested a 17-year-old boy on Saturday and charged him with the rape and robbery of a 16-year-old girl, who was attacked in broad daylight as she walked to school.

The rape and robbery of a teenage girl has kept Escondido residents on edge.

"Wow. I live right down the road," Escondido resident Karly Castillo told 10News. "I can't believe it happened just right here."

Detectives had been canvassing the area with fliers since the rape occurred Friday morning. Police said the 16-year-old girl was walking to summer school along a flood control channel when a man wearing a ski mask dragged her behind a Fresh and Easy store, raped her at gunpoint and then robbed her.

"The detectives we all have working this case have children," said Lt. Craig Carter of the Escondido police. "We do take it seriously and we take it to person."

Police said they are now fairly certain they have their man.

"The subject was in possession of some of the stolen property from the robbery and rape," said Carter.

With the murder of Amber Dubois still fresh on their minds, Escondido police said they followed up on dozens of tips from the public, but it was one of their own officers who discovered the suspect.

"The subject himself was just walking in the area and the officer noticed it... [from] the description we've given out," said Carter.

Police said there's no indication the victim knew her attacker, who faces charges of rape, kidnapping, robbery and making terrorist threats.

The suspect had a warrant out for his arrest for an unrelated crime and it's still unclear if he will be charged as an adult.