S. Pasadena Police Capture Suspect in Kidnap, Rape of 3

A 23-year-old Redlands man accused of kidnapping and raping young girls in communities from Azusa to Moreno Valley is in custody after South Pasadena police arrested him following a bank robbery and identified him as the alleged serial rapist.

The arrest of DeWayne Jackson brings to an end a two-county manhunt that began Jan. 29 after authorities accused him of grabbing a 15-year-old Azusa High School student at gunpoint from the school’s driveway before class. Azusa detectives say the suspect, who was in a Hyundai Excel, drove through nearby cities and then stopped to sexually assault the girl before releasing her.

A week later, a 14-year-old Riverside girl was kidnapped and raped, police said. Jackson was also sought in connection with a rape in Moreno Valley.

Authorities said Wednesday they will seek to charge Jackson with multiple counts of kidnapping and rape.

Riverside Police Chief Ken Fortier credited a “very alert” South Pasadena police detective with Jackson’s capture.

South Pasadena police said they arrested Jackson last week after thwarting his getaway following an alleged robbery of a local branch of Sanwa bank. Officers detained Jackson after a lengthy chase and the theft of a vehicle, police said.

The following day, South Pasadena Police Sgt. Mark Miller was reviewing police bulletins when he noticed that the alleged bank robber’s Hyundai matched the description of the car used by the accused rapist and that Jackson resembled a composite sketch, said John Anderson, acting police chief.

Victims on Wednesday identified Jackson as their attacker, officials said.