‘Westside Rapist’ Suspect Pleads Not Guilty to 9 Counts

A 20-year-old man who police suspect is the so-called Westside rapist pleaded not guilty in a Santa Monica courtroom Wednesday to nine felony counts.

Jelani Efron King of Los Angeles was arraigned in connection with two attacks. But prosecutors plan to file “substantial additional counts” within the next week involving five other incidents, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

The charges filed against King stem from a Dec. 21 attack in Santa Monica and a Feb. 23 attack in Venice.

King, who is being held without bail, was charged with three counts of forcible rape, two counts of first-degree burglary, the unlawful taking of a vehicle and other charges.

His preliminary hearing was set for April 20. He faces 85 years in prison.

“This is a very large and complex case,” Gibbons said. “In a case of this magnitude, with so many victims, we want to make sure that that we have all the I’s dotted and the Ts crossed.”

King was taken into custody Monday. Authorities said physical evidence, including DNA, links King to a number of sexual assaults blamed on the Westside rapist.