Man Gets 15 Years in Torrance Rape
A Long Beach man was sentenced Tuesday to a minimum of 15 years in prison for the rape and kidnaping of a Torrance woman last year after a minor traffic accident.
In an agreement with prosecutors in Torrance Superior Court, Jerome Young, 27, pleaded guilty to 16 charges, including rape, robbery and kidnaping. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of kidnaping for extortion that carries with it a mandatory life prison sentence.
The charges stem from the June 1, 1989, abduction of a Torrance woman after her car was rear-ended at about 2 a.m. by another car near Arlington Avenue and Plaza Del Amo.
When the woman got out of her car to exchange insurance information with the driver, she was grabbed from behind by another man and hit over the head with a gun, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Julie Sulman.
As Young drove, an accomplice raped the woman, with the two men later switching places, Sulman said. The victim was also forced to withdraw $120 from an automatic teller.
The accomplice, Larry Earl Climmons, pleaded guilty to similar charges earlier this month in Torrance Superior Court. His sentencing is scheduled for May 29.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
