Authorities have arrested a man suspected of beating and sexually assaulting two women along the famed Venice Canals in separate attacks last weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Friday.
Anthony Jones, 29, was apprehended late Thursday evening in San Diego. According to police, Jones is a Black male who is 6 feet 1 inch tall, 200 pounds, and a transient.
He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on two counts of attempted murder with bail set at $3.25 million. Police did not immediately reveal what evidence led to his arrest or if he has a prior criminal record.
The attacks occurred late in the evening on April 6.
In the first incident, police say a man approached a woman from behind in the 2700 block of Strongs Drive near the Grand Canal and struck her in the head with a hard object, knocking her unconscious.
In the second incident, which occurred about an hour later, police say the same man assaulted a woman who was walking near the Sherman Canal. The horrific, bloody scenes shocked the community.
On Friday, police confirmed that both attacks had a “sexual element.”
Mary Klein, 54, a single mother, suffered fractures to her jaw, broken teeth, a large gash on the back of her head and multiple contusions, according to a friend who started a GoFundMe campaign to pay Klein’s medical bills.
“[Mary’s] spirits are strong and she is overflowing with surprise and hope that so many people are reaching out with words of strength,” the organizer wrote. Over $30,000 had been raised as of Friday afternoon.
The condition of the second victim was not released.
At Friday’s news conference, L.A. City Councilwoman Traci Park thanked police for quickly apprehending a suspect and expressed frustration with what she described as a decline in basic safety in America’s second-largest city.
“People in the city of Los Angeles are sick and tired of feeling unsafe,” said Park. “No woman, no visitor, no family should be unsafe walking in any neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, much less our city’s number one tourist destination.”
Park blasted policies that, she says, have allowed dangerous people to “roam” the streets.
“I am sick and tired of living in the middle of a failed social experiment,” she said. “We have all had enough. Enough with the ridiculous soft on crime/defund the police/catch-and-release/ ‘criminals are the victims’ policies that got us into this mess. Enough!”
Police said the case would soon be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am proud of the tireless work and dedication to public safety demonstrated by all involved in this case, especially our specialized detectives,” said LAPD interim Police Chief Dominic Choi.
“I thank Councilwoman Park for her unwavering support, continually working together to ensure the safety of our communities. The people of Los Angeles are safer today because this predator is in custody.”