Blind Woman Sexually Attacked : Mother Testifies Son Was at Home

A Canyon Country mother testified Wednesday that her son could not have sexually assaulted a woman last June because he was home asleep at the time of the crime.

Mildred Esington told San Fernando Superior Court jurors that defendant David Jerry Esington, 28, was sleeping at her home at 11 a.m. June 3, when he is accused of sexually assaulting a blind woman after offering to give her a ride home.

He is charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit rape. The first incident, on June 3, involved an attack on the blind woman. The second incident occurred on June 10 and involved a Japanese immigrant.

Mildred Esington said she woke her son just after 11 a.m. June 3. She said he drove her to a nearby grocery store, where they shopped until about 12:30 p.m. They returned home, and he remained there until about 1:30 p.m., when he went to pick up his father at work, she testified.

Recognized Voice

A 35-year-old blind woman testified Tuesday that she had been at a bus stop in Newhall about 11 a.m. on June 3 when a man pulled up and offered to drive her home. She thought she recognized his voice and accepted the ride, she testified. The man drove her to a remote area and tried to remove her clothing and force her to have sex, she testified.

They struggled repeatedly, and she urged him to seek psychological counseling. She testified that she ordered him to drop her off at the nearest shopping center. He let her out at a shopping area in Canyon Country about 1 p.m.

The woman said she was able to identify Esington after someone read her a newspaper article about his arrest in connection with the June 10 attack on the other woman.

She testified that she noticed similarities between the two attacks and called sheriff’s deputies. She was given a “voice lineup,” consisting of Esington’s voice and the voices of several sheriffs’ personnel. The woman identified Esington’s voice.

Later, when deputies took her to Esington’s car, a diesel Chevrolet Chevette with fuzzy seat covers, she said she recognized the feel, sound and smell of the car and identified it as the car in which she had been attacked.

Denies Rape Attempt

David Esington also took the witness stand Wednesday. He denied that he had attempted to rape the blind woman and testified that he had never seen her before she appeared in court.

He testified that he had pleaded no contest to a charge of sexual battery in Auburn in November, 1987. He testified that he accidentally walked into the women’s restroom, then apologized to a woman inside and walked out. As he left, he testified, the woman in the bathroom screamed and four men began chasing him.

He said the men beat him, and he was arrested on suspicion of assault with intent to commit rape. He told the jury that he pleaded no contest to battery because his court-appointed attorney had instructed him to do so.

David Esington, who is being held in County Jail in lieu of $40,000 bail, will resume his testimony today.