Prosecution testimony got underway Thursday in the trial of a 27-year-old man accused of arranging to meet women for dates via the internet, then robbing and sexually assaulting them during meetings in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
DeJuan Ramon Jones of Victorville was arrested in March 2022 following a joint investigation by the Riverside Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Jones is charged with three counts of forcible rape, as well as two counts each of assault with a deadly weapon and forced oral copulation, and one count each of kidnapping to commit rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and robbery, with sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting more than one victim in sex crimes, inflicting great bodily injury and using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
A jury was seated on Wednesday, after which the prosecution and defense delivered closing statements. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro directed the panel to return to the Riverside Hall of Justice Thursday morning, when proceedings resumed.
Jones is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to the Riverside Police Department, the defendant was initially directly linked to an alleged assault that occurred on March 7, 2022, in Riverside, which culminated in his arrest.
“Investigators learned Jones was active on dating apps and social media, where he had met women online,” police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said. “The assaults took place once these meetings occurred. Jones was armed during the encounters, and it is believed he preyed upon women less likely to report the crimes to law enforcement, such as youth and sex workers.”
Court documents show that four victims alleged the defendant assaulted them. The women were identified only by their initials — “A.S.,” “B.W.,” “C.R.” and “R.C.”
The alleged attacks occurred between October 2021 and March 2022, according to the prosecution’s complaint. Specific locations were not provided.
Railsback didn’t disclose how detectives ultimately identified Jones.
He has prior convictions in San Bernardino County that weren’t listed in court documents.