Suspect in Brutal Rape of UTC Woman Identified by San Diego Police; Remains At Large

SAN DIEGO, CA — Police identified a suspect Tuesday in the sexual assualt of a woman Aug. 13 in her University Towne Center apartment, and said they believe he is responsible for committing similar crimes at a Motel 6 on Alvarado Canyon Road.

San Diego police Capt. Brian Ahearn said in a press conference Tuesday that the San Diego Police Department has evidence linking the suspect, Jeremiah Ira Williams, 24, to two alleged sexual assaults at a Motel 6 on Alvarado Canyon Road.

Additionally, there are similarities in a sexual assault reported last weekend at a hotel in Mission Valley, Ahearn said.

"Mr. Williams is a dangerous individual, and our goal is to get him apprehended," Ahearn said. "He is still a threat to the public ... If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please call 911 immediately."

• Woman Raped, Beaten, Robbed at UTC Apartment Complex: Police

Police believe Williams is still in San Diego County. He is described as a 5-foot-11 black man who weighs 180 pounds and has wings tattooed on both his upper arms. He also has a "210" tattoo on his right wrist and an outline of the state of Texas on his left forearm.

According to Ahearn, Williams' record includes prior arrests for domestic violence and assault with injury in both Texas and California.

In the UTC incident, Williams allegedly approached the victim as she was walking through the parking garage of the Venetian Apartments, 3939 Nobel Drive — a well-lit route that she often takes toward her residence.

"[He] brandished a firearm, drug her into residence, beat and choked her and sexually assaulted her," Ahearn said.

The 28-year-old victim went to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where police were summoned and first learned of the attack. The woman suffered facial fractures and other injuries in the attack.

The San Diego Police Department Sex Crimes unit collected evidence from the scene, and worked with the victim to develop a description of her attacker.

Three days later, on Tuesday, Aug. 16, San Diego police responded to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where a 23-year-old woman reported that a man she had recently met assaulted her in a room at Motel 6, 4370 Alvarado Canyon Road in San Diego.

"The victim said the crime occurred on Sunday, Aug. 14 when the suspect entered her room, choked her, sexually assaulted her and hit her in the head with a handgun," Ahearn said. "When the sex crimes unit detectives responded to the scene, they learned of another incident that occurred two days prior that was possibly related to this sexual assault."

In that incident, Ahearn said, SDPD had responded to the Motel 6 for a report of a man hitting a woman. Witnesses heard the woman yelling for help, and saw a man with a handgun running from the area. The woman was not located, but the man, identified as the same Jeremiah Williams, was taken into custody by California Highway Patrol officers who located him in a nearby canyon area.

Unfortunately, Ahearn said, CHP cited Williams for a misdemeanor and released him from custody — not being aware of how the investigation would eventually unfold.

SDPD detectives collected evidence from that motel room as well, according to Ahearn.

On Monday, Aug. 22, Ahearn said SDPD's crime lab notified him that evidence from the UTC scene identified Williams as the perpetrator.

"Lab investigators provided information on Mr. Williams that enabled investigators to immediately begin searching for him," Ahearn said. "Because of similarities between the Alvarado and Nobel cases, they began looking at both as possibly being related. They contacted the victim from Motel 6 and she identified Williams as the suspect."

Police have been actively searching for Williams since identifying him as the suspect Monday. He should be considered armed and dangerous, and anyone who sees him should call 911.

Anyone with information in the case or who may be an additional victim is asked to call the SDPD’s Sex Crimes Unit at 619-531-2210 or the San Diego County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case. Anonymous email and text messages can be sent via Sdcrimestoppers.org.