Long Beach Man Charged in Two Local Rape, Kidnapping

Originally posted at 5:35 p.m. July 8, 2014. Edited to clarify headline.

A 20-year-old man was charged today with rape and other counts stemming from attacks on two women last month in Long Beach and Signal Hill.

Raymond Demetrius Howard of Long Beach faces eight felony counts, including forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, kidnapping to commit another crime and aggravated mayhem, in connection with an alleged attack June 29 on a 31-year-old woman who was beaten and sexually assaulted.

He is also charged with four felony counts, including kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, making criminal threats and second-degree robbery, involving an alleged attack June 18 on a woman in Signal Hill.

Howard remains jailed while awaiting arraignment July 24 in Long Beach.

Officers were dispatched about 11:30 p.m. June 29 to an alley in the area of Del Amo and Long Beach boulevards in Long Beach, where the 31-year-old woman was found. Police said it appeared that she had been followed from a nearby bus depot.

Detectives obtained a photo of a possible suspect and worked with Signal Hill police after learning of the earlier attack in which the assailant had a similar description, police said. Detectives from both police departments served a search warrant last week and arrested Howard at his home.

--City News Service