Suspect in Bermuda Dunes sexual assault arrested, pleads not guilty to multiple charges
A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Bermuda Dunes shortly after he allegedly tried to assault another woman was identified and arrested, authorities announced.
Linnell Letice Wilson, 21, of Palm Desert, was arrested Sunday near the 73000 block of Country Club Drive in Palm Desert, according to an updated statement from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office confirmed Wilson was charged with kidnap to commit robbery/rape, rape by force, oral copulation, robbery, and attempted robbery. He was arraigned on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Wilson is expected to return to the Larson Justice Center in Indio for a felony settlement conference on Sept. 9.
Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff's Station responded at 2:56 a.m. Aug. 21 to the 78000 block of Avenue 42 regarding a report of a suspicious person. When they arrived, the caller told them an unknown masked man followed her to her apartment and was scared off when the woman screamed as he approached her, deputies said.
They checked the area and were unable to locate the suspect, but obtained video surveillance footage with an image of the suspect.
At 10:27 a.m. the same day, deputies received a report of a sexual assault near Adams Street and Dune Lake Street. The victim told deputies she was in the area between 2:30 and 3 a.m. when she was attacked by an unknown man and sexually assaulted, authorities said.
She described the suspect as 20-30 years old, approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a heavy build. The suspect was wearing a black ski mask and fled in an unknown direction after the assault, authorities said.
Deputies continued to investigate under the belief that the descriptions referred to the same suspect in both cases.
After receiving information that assisted in identifying Wilson as the suspect, deputies located and arrested him on Sunday.
Wilson had been released from prison approximately a month ago, 11 months into a two-and-a-half-year sentence, according to the updated statement. His criminal history includes prior felony convictions for robbery, carjacking and weapons charges, authorities said.
He was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on Monday morning where he remains in custody without bail.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation was encouraged to contact Investigator Perez of the Thermal Sheriff's Station at 760-341-7867.
The Sheriff's Office shared safety tips in the event that a suspicious stranger approaches you:
