Crime & Safety
Demon-Fearing Attacker Gets 3 Years In Prison
San Clemente resident Jonathan Ashton Aikin, 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and sexual battery on Monday.
A 19-year-old man was sentenced today to three years in prison.
Jonathan Ashton Aikin pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree burglary and sexual battery, both felonies. Felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse and endangerment and a misdemeanor count of being under the influence of a controlled substance were dismissed, according to court records.
Aikin accepted a plea bargain from prosecutors, Deputy District Attorney
Sayge Castillo said.
Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Karen Robinson also ordered Aikin to
register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Aikin was given credit for 447 days served in custody, but will have to do 85 percent of his prison sentence, Castillo said.
Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Sentencing was delayed until today to give the victim a chance to make a statement to the judge, but she changed her mind and did not want to attend today's hearing, Castillo said.
“She just decided it would be better if she wasn’t here today,” Castillo said in court.
After the attack on May 15 last year, the victim .
“I was in bed with the kids next to me when this crazy guy came in and
attacked me,” the victim, who only wanted to be identified as Olive, told
reporters.
Aikin did not know the victim, Castillo said.
“This appears to be totally random,” Castillo said.
The victim said Aikin was acting irrationally.
He was yelling at me to shut the windows to keep the demons away,” Olive said. “He was soaking wet from the rain. ... He was paranoid, confessing his love for me when I've never met him before. He squeezed my neck so hard I still can't swallow food.”
Aikin had “incredible strength,” the woman said.
The attack happened about 9:45 on a Sunday morning in the 300 block of Cazador Lane in San Clemente.
The woman's then-5-year-old son jumped on Aikin's back and flailed away at the intruder while Olive shouted for help, she said. Aikin pushed aside the boy, leaving him with a swollen left eye and cheek.
Olive's upstairs neighbors at the time, Jenna and Justin Gerou, ran down to Olive's aid. Jenna took the kids to safety while Justin, a Marine, dragged Aikin off Olive, she said.
Deputies had to subdue Aikin with a Taser.
Aikin's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kate Lewis, declined comment.
Patch Reporter John Crandall contributed to this report.
