Prosecution Rests in Parolee’s Rape Trial : Courts: Monette Johnson is accused of 28 felonies stemming from a series of attacks in the Valley in 1991 and 1992.

The prosecution ended its case Wednesday against a prison parolee accused of raping half a dozen women during a series of late-night attacks.

Monette Johnson, 35, is on trial for 28 felonies, including rape, sodomy and robbery, stemming from a series of attacks in San Fernando Valley residences in 1991 and early 1992.

In a trial interrupted for a week and a half because of the Northridge earthquake, a Van Nuys Superior Court jury has heard the victims testify about the assaults.

“Every one of them is very relieved this case has gone to trial, that they’ve been able to testify to try to put this all behind them,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Phillip H. Rabichow, the prosecutor.

Four victims who won court orders forcing testing of Johnson for acquired immune deficiency syndrome have been alerted that they had been possibly exposed to the HIV virus. But the notifications from the county Department of Health did not specify the source of the exposure because of state confidentiality laws. Other victims, including nine whose cases lacked enough evidence to prosecute, are legally not entitled to the information.

Johnson’s medical status was not part of the prosecution’s case.

“I can say the only mention of AIDS or HIV was when one of the victims” testified that she attempted to scare away her attacker by claiming that she was infected with HIV, Rabichow said.

“But this didn’t discourage him.”

Only one of the victims could identify Johnson as her assailant. Another woman identified the defendant during a live lineup after hearing his voice, but she was not able to do so at the trial.

Johnson’s fingerprints were found at one crime scene, according to testimony, and items stolen during each sexual assault were found in Johnson’s Lake View Terrace apartment.

And DNA evidence conclusively shows that the odds are extremely remote--1 in 43 million in five of the attacks--that someone other than Johnson is the rapist, according to the testimony. This figure is obtained by comparing the genetic material in Johnson’s blood with the DNA in the semen collected after the rapes.

Defense attorney M. David Houchin will challenge the DNA evidence next week.