Long Beach Man Pleads Not Guilty to Charges Connected to Attacks on 2 Women

A 20-year-old man pleaded not guilty today to charges stemming from alleged attacks last month on two women in Long Beach and Signal Hill.

Raymond Demetrius Howard of Long Beach is charged with a dozen felony counts, including rape, forcible oral copulation, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with a firearm, aggravated mayhem and criminal threats.

On June 29 in Long Beach, Howard allegedly raped and beat a woman after following her from a nearby bus stop into an an alley. On June 18, he's accused of targeting a woman at Signal Hill Park, but she fought back and escaped, according to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Zepeda.

Long Beach police detectives obtained a photo of a possible suspect in the Long Beach crime and worked with Signal Hill police after learning of an attack in which the assailant had a similar description, police said.

Detectives from both police departments served a search warrant July 3 and arrested Howard at his home.

He is due back in a Long Beach courtroom Aug. 21.

--City News Service