A rape suspect avoided a preliminary hearing Friday, Jan. 25 by pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman in Pacific Beach.
Hosh Deion Thomas, 24, of Bakersfield, faces up to nine years in state prison. San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth set sentencing for March 17.
Thomas pleaded guilty to raping a woman whom he had apparently followed after she left a bar in the 1200 block of Diamond Street Dec. 12 in the early morning hours. She was attacked outside in the residential area, but a man riding a skateboard heard her screaming and intervened, scaring the attacker off.
Detectives were able to identify Thomas with the help of the staff at the Tavern, which Thomas and the victim were patronizing before the attack. Officers contacted Thomas’ friends, and he was arrested several days later.
According to two online social networking sites, Thomas was an aspiring actor and musician and in 2005 was a wide receiver for the football team at Southern Utah University.
Smyth dismissed two lesser sex charges against Thomas that involved the same incident. Thomas hired a Bakersfield attorney to represent him. Thomas decided to plead guilty to the strongest charge on the day of the preliminary hearing when the victim and other witnesses were waiting to testify against him.
Thomas remains in the South Bay Detention Facility without bail.