Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Grandview surfer girl fought attacker

“I felt like they were watching me. I know at least one of them was.”

The girl was assaulted in a driveway near this popular beach-access spot.
The girl was assaulted in a driveway near this popular beach-access spot.

The teenaged blonde girl said she was on her knees in the driveway, waxing her surfboard, when a man came up from behind and grabbed ahold of her neck. “I saw his foot come into my vision,” she testified in court on Wednesday, October 4th.

The assault was near the intersection of Neptune and Grandview in Encinitas.

The girl said she did not hear him as he approached her this past July. “He came up, I saw the foot, and he kind of grabbed my neck right here.” The teenager, identified only as J.D., pointed to her neck in the witness box.

Now 16, the girl lives on Neptune Street in Encinitas with her parents. J.D. is tall and athletic looking, and she might appear older than her years; but when she speaks she reveals herself to be a shy, soft-spoken girl.

She described the man’s grip: “It was pretty strong and kind of forceful, kind of aggressive, held my neck super-tight.”

A prosecutor brought out evidence photos of the girl’s neck, which showed red streaks. She said she agreed they looked like finger marks.

The girl testified that the stranger tried to force her face into the pavement, “tried to smash my face down,” but she was able to brace herself with both hands on the ground. “He was trying to get me down and I caught myself.” She said of the unexpected confrontation, “I was kind of confused.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

She said the man then tried to pull her upward and backward, and that he dragged her.

And then the stranger said something that shocked her into action. “And the man said, ‘All right, let’s do this!’” she remembered. “Those words really stuck.” His words caused her to act. “That triggered my brain, what was happening” and she fought.

“I said, after he grabbed me I kept saying, ‘No, no’ and ‘stop’ and ‘no,’ and pushing him off, and ‘stop,'” she said. “And I got him off.” She couldn’t explain how she successfully twisted or pushed to get free of his grip. “For me, it was just kind of adrenaline. Just fought him off.”

THERE WERE TWO MEN

The girl said she stood upright and faced both of the men, whom she had noticed earlier. She described the looks on their faces: “They were both kinda confused that I got away.”

Sheriff's press release of incident included a sketch of the suspect who drove the truck.

“I said, ‘That’s not cool!’” And she backed away from them until she could escape through a gate and lock it behind her, and flee into the nearest house.

J.D. said she noticed the two men with a blue truck as soon as she went to get her longboard out of the garage, about 5 p.m. that day. “They were across the street, parked.” They had no board. “People are there to surf.” In fact, J.D. said it was “rush hour” at that location: there are stairs that provide access to the popular surf spot there, and many people hurry get to the ocean before dark, because at that hour “it’s glassed off.”

She had never seen the men before. “They didn’t look like they were in place there, at that spot.”

She was first concerned they might steal her bicycle or surfboard. “I saw them looking up and down the street and thought, Oh, they are probably going to try to take my board.”

“I felt like they were watching me,” she testified. “I know at least one of them was.”

After she fought off the one man, the other man, the one who had been sitting on the roof of the truck, said, “Sorry.” And the man who stayed with the truck also said, “Go into the house.”

J.D. did go into the nearest home, which belonged to a neighbor.

In the courtroom, J.D. identified the man who tried to grab her as defendant Jeremiah Robert Owens, 28. She said the man who stayed with the truck and drove away after the grabber got into the passenger seat was defendant Christopher Lee White, 27.

THE MAN IN THE BLUE TRUCK

The San Diego County Sheriff put out a press release the day after the alleged assault, on July 27, with a sketch of one suspect.

Judge Kearney refused defense requests to set a bail amount for each defendant.

A citizen reported seeing a blue pickup truck the next day, on July 28. Deputies pulled over a blue Toyota Tacoma on the 1400 block of Summit Avenue in Encinitas and spoke with the driver, Chris White. In a recorded interview, White quickly gave up the name of his roommate Jeremy Owens.

The attorney for White claimed he was surprised when Owens put hands on the girl, and that he believed his friend was approaching the girl to speak with her.

San Diego Superior Court judge Robert Kearney ordered both men to trial; they both face four serious felonies, including attempted kidnap, assault with intent to commit a lewd act on a child, and false imprisonment with violence and menace. Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges and are being held without bail. They are next expected in court on November 1.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Art Of Dr. Seuss, Boarded: A New Pirate Adventure, Wild Horses Festival

Events December 26-December 30, 2024
The girl was assaulted in a driveway near this popular beach-access spot.
The girl was assaulted in a driveway near this popular beach-access spot.

The teenaged blonde girl said she was on her knees in the driveway, waxing her surfboard, when a man came up from behind and grabbed ahold of her neck. “I saw his foot come into my vision,” she testified in court on Wednesday, October 4th.

The assault was near the intersection of Neptune and Grandview in Encinitas.

The girl said she did not hear him as he approached her this past July. “He came up, I saw the foot, and he kind of grabbed my neck right here.” The teenager, identified only as J.D., pointed to her neck in the witness box.

Now 16, the girl lives on Neptune Street in Encinitas with her parents. J.D. is tall and athletic looking, and she might appear older than her years; but when she speaks she reveals herself to be a shy, soft-spoken girl.

She described the man’s grip: “It was pretty strong and kind of forceful, kind of aggressive, held my neck super-tight.”

A prosecutor brought out evidence photos of the girl’s neck, which showed red streaks. She said she agreed they looked like finger marks.

The girl testified that the stranger tried to force her face into the pavement, “tried to smash my face down,” but she was able to brace herself with both hands on the ground. “He was trying to get me down and I caught myself.” She said of the unexpected confrontation, “I was kind of confused.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

She said the man then tried to pull her upward and backward, and that he dragged her.

And then the stranger said something that shocked her into action. “And the man said, ‘All right, let’s do this!’” she remembered. “Those words really stuck.” His words caused her to act. “That triggered my brain, what was happening” and she fought.

“I said, after he grabbed me I kept saying, ‘No, no’ and ‘stop’ and ‘no,’ and pushing him off, and ‘stop,'” she said. “And I got him off.” She couldn’t explain how she successfully twisted or pushed to get free of his grip. “For me, it was just kind of adrenaline. Just fought him off.”

THERE WERE TWO MEN

The girl said she stood upright and faced both of the men, whom she had noticed earlier. She described the looks on their faces: “They were both kinda confused that I got away.”

Sheriff's press release of incident included a sketch of the suspect who drove the truck.

“I said, ‘That’s not cool!’” And she backed away from them until she could escape through a gate and lock it behind her, and flee into the nearest house.

J.D. said she noticed the two men with a blue truck as soon as she went to get her longboard out of the garage, about 5 p.m. that day. “They were across the street, parked.” They had no board. “People are there to surf.” In fact, J.D. said it was “rush hour” at that location: there are stairs that provide access to the popular surf spot there, and many people hurry get to the ocean before dark, because at that hour “it’s glassed off.”

She had never seen the men before. “They didn’t look like they were in place there, at that spot.”

She was first concerned they might steal her bicycle or surfboard. “I saw them looking up and down the street and thought, Oh, they are probably going to try to take my board.”

“I felt like they were watching me,” she testified. “I know at least one of them was.”

After she fought off the one man, the other man, the one who had been sitting on the roof of the truck, said, “Sorry.” And the man who stayed with the truck also said, “Go into the house.”

J.D. did go into the nearest home, which belonged to a neighbor.

In the courtroom, J.D. identified the man who tried to grab her as defendant Jeremiah Robert Owens, 28. She said the man who stayed with the truck and drove away after the grabber got into the passenger seat was defendant Christopher Lee White, 27.

THE MAN IN THE BLUE TRUCK

The San Diego County Sheriff put out a press release the day after the alleged assault, on July 27, with a sketch of one suspect.

Judge Kearney refused defense requests to set a bail amount for each defendant.

A citizen reported seeing a blue pickup truck the next day, on July 28. Deputies pulled over a blue Toyota Tacoma on the 1400 block of Summit Avenue in Encinitas and spoke with the driver, Chris White. In a recorded interview, White quickly gave up the name of his roommate Jeremy Owens.

The attorney for White claimed he was surprised when Owens put hands on the girl, and that he believed his friend was approaching the girl to speak with her.

San Diego Superior Court judge Robert Kearney ordered both men to trial; they both face four serious felonies, including attempted kidnap, assault with intent to commit a lewd act on a child, and false imprisonment with violence and menace. Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges and are being held without bail. They are next expected in court on November 1.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Houston ex-mayor donates to Toni Atkins governor fund

LGBT fights in common
Next Article

The Art Of Dr. Seuss, Boarded: A New Pirate Adventure, Wild Horses Festival

Events December 26-December 30, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader