Felon Tried To Rape Woman At Whitewater Dog Training Facility

WHITEWATER, CA — A convicted felon accused of trying to sexually assault a woman at a Whitewater canine training facility pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted rape.

Bryan Vines Burge, 55, admitted the felony count Tuesday under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop two related charges and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon during a sexual offense.

Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 19 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. A potential sentence was not published.

Burge remains held without bail at the nearby Benoit Detention Center.

According to investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, shortly before 7 a.m. last Aug. 16, the defendant forcibly entered the Guide Dogs of the Desert compound at 60735 Dillon Road, where canines are specially trained to serve as companion and guardian pets for the blind.

Sheriff's officials said Burge encountered a woman, identified in court documents only as "L.S.," and pulled a knife on her, proceeding with an attempted sexual assault.

The victim struggled and suffered unspecified injuries during the attack but was able to break free of the defendant's grasp and flee to call for help, according to investigators.

Patrol deputies converged on the location a short time later and initiated a search based on the woman's statements. They located and arrested Burge without incident on Dillon Road three hours later.

The victim did not require hospitalization. It was unclear whether the defendant specifically burglarized the training facility to target the woman.

Court documents indicated he had prior convictions out of Orange County for burglary and lewd acts on a minor.