FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 A man from New York has been taken into custody related to a 2015 sexual battery case after further forensic tests showed the victim was drugged during the alleged incident, according to the Flagler County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Kaivan Rahbar, 64, of Melville, New York, was arrested Aug. 4 by Suffolk County Police detectives on a Flagler County fugitive warrant for sexual battery.<\/p>\n
The case dates back to July 3, 2015, when Flagler County deputies responded to a local hospital following a reported sexual battery.<\/p>\n
The Sheriff\u2019s Office reported that the victim said Rahbar drugged and sexually assaulted her. Detectives conducted an investigation, including a controlled phone call and a DNA warrant.<\/p>\n
Rahbar\u2019s DNA was submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and was matched to DNA collected during the victim\u2019s sexual assault examination.<\/p>\n
At that time, tests to establish if the victim had been drugged were inconclusive. The victim subsequently became unreachable, resulting in the case being marked as inactive.<\/p>\n
The investigation was reopened in July 2025 after the victim contacted the Sheriff\u2019s Office and requested a copy of her case file.<\/p>\n
Detectives reviewed the original investigation with the State Attorney\u2019s Office and submitted the victim\u2019s 2015 blood sample for additional forensic testing at NMS Labs.<\/p>\n
In April 2026, NMS Labs confirmed zolpidem, the active ingredient in Ambien, in the victim\u2019s blood, supporting her account that she had been drugged, according to the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 3, 2026, a Flagler County detective obtained an arrest warrant for Rahbar.<\/p>\n
Investigators determined Rahbar had relocated to New York and was preparing to leave the country. The Sheriff\u2019s Office said he was subsequently placed on a no-fly status.<\/p>\n
The following morning, Suffolk County police detectives arrested Rahbar on the Flagler County warrant.<\/p>\n
Rahbar waived extradition and was returned to Flagler County on Aug. 19, where he is being held without bond, according to the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n