Prosecutors have charged a 29-year-old man with multiple counts of forcible rape and one count of attempted murder after attacking two women near the Venice canals earlier this month, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced at a news conference Monday.
Anthony Jones, 29, was arrested in San Diego last week after police identified him as a suspect in the violent attacks. He was brought back to Los Angeles and taken into custody.
“These are probably some of the most heinous sexual assaults I’ve ever seen,” Gascón said at the news conference. “The level of brutality that was engaged in was very reprehensible.”
Charges against Jones also include one count of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of sodomy by use of force, one count of mayhem and one count of torture. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“It felt like I got hit by a truck,” one of the women who was attacked told KTLA-TV Channel 5 from her hospital bed. “I was just walking and then all the sudden I wasn’t.”
The Times does not identify victims of sexual assault. One of the victims previously told The Times that she was out on a walk that night to reach her 10,000 daily step goal and did not suspect the area to be dangerous.
She plans to carry pepper spray and is considering getting a dog for more protection, she told The Times. She suffered serious injuries, including at least eight fractures to her jaw, a large laceration to the back of her head and facial bruising.
The first attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. April 6 in the 2700 block of Strongs Drive. A woman was attacked from behind with a hard object and knocked unconscious.
About an hour later and less than a mile away near the Sherman Canal, a second woman was attacked. Police allege that Jones is responsible for both incidents.
“On a personal level, I have been absolutely horrified and heartbroken by what happened to these women,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Venice. “I can only imagine the pain and the grief and the anger that these victims and their families must feel.”