MENIFEE: Hemet man who attacked student at MSJC’s Menifee campus sentenced

MENIFEE – A Hemet resident accused of attempted rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and false imprisonment was sentenced Monday, Nov. 28. The man was arrested Oct. 4, after he allegedly accosted an 18-year-old female in a gender-neutral restroom at Mt. San Jacinto College’s campus at 28237 La Piedra Road in Menifee Oct. 3.

In a plea arrangement with the District Attorney’s Office, 29-year-old Tyrell Nathaniel Brown pleaded guilty to a single count of false imprisonment. In exchange for Brown’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the additional charges against him. He was sentenced to one year in county jail and three years’ formal probation.

Under the plea arrangement, Brown will not be required to register as a sex offender.

As part of Brown’s sentencing, he was ordered to pay $2,945.70 in restitution and fees to the Riverside Superior Court. However, the court waived $2,014.58 in pre-incarceration fees and booking fees, leaving Brown to pay $931.12.

The investigation began after Brown reportedly cornered the victim as she was exiting a bathroom stall at the campus. According to court documents and previous statements made by Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant James Burton, Brown blocked the student’s path as she tried to leave the bathroom. He then instructed her to change into clothing he had brought with him.

When the victim refused and attempted to leave the restroom – Brown, who stands 6’2″ – allegedly prevented her from leaving the bathroom stall where he had cornered her.

“The victim refused to comply with the suspect’s demands and was able to defend herself when the suspect advanced toward her,” Burton explained at the time.

The victim fled from the bathroom without injury. After she escaped from Brown, she immediately contacted Mt. San Jacinto College Police officers.

By the time campus police officers were notified about the incident and responded to the bathroom, Brown had fled from the location. Despite an intensive search of the campus and surrounding area he was not located that day.

Through investigative means, campus police and deputies identified Brown as the alleged suspect. During their investigation, authorities determined Brown was not a student at the college.

Mt. San Jacinto College Police, with assistance from the Hemet and Menifee Sheriff’s Stations, contacted Brown the following day at his residence on Honeysuckle Way in Hemet. They arrested Brown without incident.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Mt. San Jacinto College are committed to the safety of the community and will be vigilant in investigating all crimes of this nature,” Burton wrote in a press release after Brown’s arrest.

Brown is being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta. After his release, he will remain on probation until Nov. 28, 2019.

 

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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.