Jarvis Mathias Newman charged with assault to commit rape and sexual battery
By Sam Catanzaro
Sexual assault charges have been filed against a man for two separate incidents on Santa Monica beaches this month.
Last week the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Jarvis Mathias Newman, a 26-year-old male, for his involvement in two separate incidents in Santa Monica.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), on September 12 officers met with a victim who reported that a couple of days prior, she was asleep on the beach near Muscle Beach when she was awoken by a male that was touching her vaginal area over her clothes.
“The victim screamed and the suspect walked away. The victim provided police with a description of the suspect. She noted he had a distinctive gap in his front teeth,” the SMPD said in a press release.
Days later, on September 15, SMPD officers were dispatched to the area of Ocean and Colorado avenues to investigate another assault. According to the SMPD, officers met with a victim who told them, around 4:30 a.m. she was asleep in her tent just to the north of Santa Monica Pier, when a male woke her up and began to make small talk.
“At one point the male attempted to shift their conversation to be sexual in nature. The male then attempted to grab the female around the neck and take off her clothes. The victim screamed and was able to fight the male off her before he fled,” the SMPD said.
The victim of this second incident provided police with the suspect’s description. SMPD personnel observed a male matching the description of the suspect, later identified as Jarvis Newman, in the area of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue.
The victim in this incident positively identified Newman as the person who attacked her. During their investigation, officers learned Newman was an active registered sexual offender. Detectives followed up with the victim of the first incident and she also identified Newman as the male that assaulted her.
On September 17 the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed assault to commit rape and sexual battery charges against Newman.
