Venice rape suspect charged with murder of mother of two

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — A man suspected of beating and sexually assaulting two women along the Venice canals has been charged with murder after one of the women was taken off life support and died, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Police believe 29-year-old Anthony Francisco Jones attacked the two women within an hour on the night of April 6. One of the women, 53-year-old Sarah Alden, has been in a coma since the attack. She died on Friday.

Alden was a mother of two sons and was in the process of moving to Venice when the attack happened.

Her children donated her organs and her relatives paid their last respects to the Massachusetts resident who was killed just as she was planning to start a new chapter of her life on the West Coast.

“She loved east coast sunrises and west coast sunsets. Sarah homeschooled her two sons, loved her animals, and had a keen eye for vintage jewelry, which she sold on roseark.com,” a friend wrote on her GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral and medical expenses. “At 53, Sarah wanted to start a new chapter of her journey; to forge a new path. Instead, her life was violently taken.”

District Attorney George Gascón called the attacks the “most heinous sexual assaults” he had ever seen.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family and friends during this unimaginably tragic time,” Gascón said. “We are determined to seek justice for both victims of these heinous crimes. The additional murder charge carries a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, in addition to the life sentences for the previously charged crimes.”

Jones was arrested a few days after the attacks in San Diego. He was initially charged with two counts of rape and one count each of sexual penetration by force, assault, torture, attempted murder and sodomy by force.

According to the district attorney’s office, the newly filed murder charge includes specific allegations that he committed rape and sodomy during the execution of the murder.

He is due back at the Airport Branch Courthouse on June 11 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to put him on trial. He is being held without bail.

According to Los Angeles police and prosecutors, the first attack occurred on April 6 at around 10:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Strongs Drive, where Alden was attacked from behind and struck with a blunt object, rendering him unconscious. About an hour later, the suspect attacked another woman in a similar manner as she walked near Sherman Canal. That woman also suffered serious injuries but survived.

According to the GoFundMe page, Alden planned to meet two close friends for breakfast on April 7 to tell them she was moving from Massachusetts to the Los Angeles area.

The GoFundMe page to support Alden’s family with medical and funeral expenses can be found here.

City News Service contributed to this report.