Rashad Devon Harris sentenced to life in state prison for 2018 violent home invasion and attempted rape
By Sam Catanzaro
A judge has sentenced a man to life in prison for slashing and attempting to rape a Santa Monica woman while she slept in a 2018 home invasion.
On February 23, 2018, at 3:20 a.m., a woman woke up to find an unknown man in her Fifth Street apartment in downtown Santa Monica. The stranger demanded money from her before attempting to slash and rape the victim, police say.
“The suspect tried pushing the victim into another room when the victim began to fight with the suspect. The suspect armed himself with a knife and slashed at the victim several times, as she continued to fight him off and yell for help,” said the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD). “The suspect eventually fled from the location and the victim was able to call 9-1-1.”
Using forensic evidence, the SMPD was able to identify the suspect as Rashad Devon Harris, a man already on probation for two other burglaries. He was arrested on February 27, 2018, while checking in with his parole officer.
The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on March 1, 2018 who charged Harris with the following
- Assault with the Intent to Commit Rape
- Burglary
- Robbery
- Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- Mayhem
- Criminal Threats
Harris was held at the Los Angeles County Jail without bail. On December 20, 2020, and after a lengthy court and trial process, Harris was convicted on all counts. Harris was sentenced to Life in State Prison on January 6, 2021.
