A 30-year-old man, Anthony Francisco Jones, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder and sexual assault of two women near the Venice canals. The sentencing was carried out by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Cathryn F. Brougham, who imposed a life sentence plus an additional 107 years to life in state prison, along with 8 years in state prison.
Jones entered a no-contest plea to charges including one count of murder, two counts of forcible rape, one count of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of mayhem, one count of torture, and one count of sodomy by use of force. He also admitted to kidnapping the victims, committing offenses against multiple victims, and inflicting great bodily injury. Additionally, Jones acknowledged that the murder occurred while he was engaged in the commission of rape and sodomy.
The incidents occurred on April 6, when officers responded to a report of a woman being struck with a blunt object on the 2700 block of Strongs Drive, leaving her unconscious. Approximately an hour later, another woman was similarly attacked near the Sherman Canal. Jones was apprehended on April 11 in San Diego. One of the victims succumbed to her injuries on May 20.
Jones had no known connections to the victims or prior violent history in California, with only minor misdemeanor offenses reported in Oklahoma.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Jones is not only ineligible for parole but has also waived his right to appeal, ensuring he will remain in prison for life.
