Felon who assaulted women in Riverside and San Bernardino counties convicted of multiple charges

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - A 27-year-old man who arranged to meet women for dates via the internet and then robbed and sexually assaulted them during meetings in Riverside and San Bernardino counties was convicted of more than a half-dozen charges and now faces a sentence of more than 20 years in state prison.   

After two weeks of testimony, a Riverside jury deliberated only a few hours Tuesday before finding DeJuan Ramon Jones of Victorville guilty of three counts of forcible rape and two counts each of assault with a deadly weapon and forced oral copulation and one count of robbery, as well as sentence enhancing allegations of targeting more than one victim in sex crimes and inflicting great bodily injury.  

Jurors acquitted him of kidnapping to commit rape and assault with intent to commit mayhem.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 16 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. If Jones is sentenced on all counts consecutively, he could receive a term of imprisonment in excess of two decades.

He's being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.   

The defendant was arrested in March 2022 following a joint investigation by the Riverside Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

According to Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback, Jones was initially directly linked to an 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,'' 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 came forward. The women were identified only by their initials.

The 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.