The Long Beach City Prosecutor’s office has filed misdemeanor charges in the high-profile case of a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman as she walked through Downtown last week.
Security camera footage of the attack, which shows a man following a woman and knocking her to the ground, has sparked outrage and calls for a renewed focus on safety in Downtown Long Beach.
Miguel Avila, 30, is accused of attacking the woman as she walked down Linden Avenue in Long Beach’s East Village on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 20.
Authorities allege he had undone his pants and pulled the woman’s dress up before pressing his groin against her backside.
Avila now faces one count each of misdemeanor sexual assault and vandalism, Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office declined to file felony assault charges in the case. In a charge evaluation worksheet, a deputy district attorney wrote were they were “unable to prove restraint … nor specific intent.” Instead, they referred the case to the City Prosecutor’s office, which handles misdemeanor cases in Long Beach.
In addition to filing misdemeanor charges against Avila, Haubert said his office will be looking at whether Avila has prior violations in other cities that could increase the penalties he faces.
“I’m outraged about this case,” Haubert said, adding that he believes this case needs to have serious consequences. “We believe he is a danger to society.”
Avilla was arrested hours after the attack, and he’s remained in custody since. His bail is set at $75,000, according to jail records.