A 19-year-old man from East Palo Alto has pleaded not guilty to charges by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office related to attempting to rape a Menlo Park jogger this week.
Rogelio Alexander Artiga, 19, who allegedly attacked and tried to force himself on a Menlo Park woman who was out jogging on Monday, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three felonies and a misdemeanor related to the allegations.
The felony charges are assault with intent to commit sexual assault, attempted rape, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime; the misdemeanor charge is for sexual battery.
On Monday, Sept. 17, a 33-year-old woman was out jogging around 4:30 p.m. when, near the intersection of Oak Court and Woodland Avenue, Artiga allegedly jogged toward her and asked, “Do you like to dance?” according to prosecutors.
She said no, and continued running. But he allegedly followed her.
She called 911, but Artiga allegedly then grabbed her from behind, put a hand over her genital area and moved her over a couple of feet into the brush. While she was on the phone with the police, he grabbed her phone and threw it away.
He allegedly then tried to pull her pants down, but she screamed and fought back, yelling that she would kill him for attacking her.
At that point, prosecutors said, he became scared and ran away.
Police found him nearby and the woman identified him as the attacker.
Nearby surveillance footage showed him running out of the brush with the woman chasing him, prosecutors said.
According to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, the charge of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime is because the man allegedly threw the woman’s cellphone while she was on the phone with the police; and the charge of sexual battery was considered a misdemeanor because no clothing was removed.
Artiga remains in custody, with bail set at $150,000. The case has been set for an Oct. 2 preliminary hearing, at 2 p.m.
Kate Bradshaw writes for The Almanac, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.
Kate Bradshaw writes for The Almanac, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.
Kate Bradshaw writes for The Almanac, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.
If your guilty and prosecuted before court date how’s that justice? Being arrested and punished before proven crimial is becoming to familiar speaking of MVPD arresting for felony charges but doesn’t collect evidence or proper proceedures in havning the facts correct. Just like this alligations in rape it’s not visual at the place of assult only fleaing away
For all we know she advanced him and he rejected her causing the chase the fact is no one was violated to be threat or harm words and story’s are not crime slander and fraud is. Think the whole idea in law enforcement needs better ethnics and be law abinding themself the camera works both ways and having that othed privilege to be power really needs review and regulated.
How many crimes that are caught and arrested actually get prossicuted and found guilty for a actual threat crime ?
It’s more criminal to lock up non threat and petty excuse charges like addicts and petty criminals so they become actual real criminal because the system create u to become one
No reform or justice in police brutality and bully badging insults
This county thrives on the taxes alone and the court circus is never bankrupt but it sure distroy ppls livlyhoods fast in false arrest and trumped up charges to make their reports seem worthy and accounted for
There’s 3 sides to a story victim accused and police report anyone can lie and believing footage of running isn’t showing rape it’s invading privacy if she was so violated and attacked she sure has alot of energy to be chasing her accuser still. Rape has violance and abuse to defend her age vs his had to believe it ever fact meanwhile we have a kid sitting for alligations and no threat proven behind bars. Waiting fir the court and it’s game time
You can gaurentee this kid to be criminal for now on just by this tatic in arrest. His future is now tainted by it all and there no justified order to see facts or truth first so public announcement for crimes that are not facts or found proven guilty isn’t providing news that needs to be posted it’s more criminal to false arrest and be in jailed and publicly be embarrassed and known by it now.
What a BS.instead of deporting this crap back to Mexico we now have to accommodate him in prison, then he will be off on parole and continue doing his rapes again. Thanks to dumb liberal California laws, this state is a sanctuary for such garbage. Vote republucan and repeal illegal un-american laws
> For all we know she advanced him and he rejected her causing the chase…
Seriously? What kind of dance are we talking about here?
Nearly everyone who’s ever been arrested pleads “not guilty” during arraignment as it now forces the ‘burden of proof’ on the prosecution thus buying time for the inmate to periodically consult with his CAA, attend a pre-trial hearing, read books while behind bars and to concoct some sort of BS excuse for the crime that occurred.
It all amounts to a further waste of taxpayer dollars.