Man accused in attacks is arraigned.Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard A man accused in a pair of attacks on young girls in Springfield has been returned to Oregon and was arraigned Thursday in Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene. Jason Seth Albion O'Connell, 35, was arrested Oct. 4 at a homeless shelter Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people. Usually located in urban neighborhoods, they are similar to emergency shelters. The primary difference is that homeless shelters are usually open to anyone, without regard to the reason for need. in Redding Redding, city (1990 pop. 66,462), seat of Shasta co., N central Calif., on the Sacramento River; inc. 1872. A principal tourist center for a mountain and lake region, it also has lumbering, food-processing, and diverse manufacturing. , Calif. The FBI had issued a warrant for his arrest after concluding that he probably had fled Oregon after at least two attacks on young girls in Springfield. He also was wanted in connection with the 1998 sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl inside her family's Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, city, United States Santa Cruz (săn`tə kr  z), city (1990 pop. 49,040), seat of Santa Cruz co., W Calif., on the north shore of Monterey Bay; inc. 1866. , Calif., apartment.
He was booked into the Lane County Jail at 9 a.m. Thursday and was arraigned on kidnapping kidnapping, in law, the taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him to be detained against his will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for political or other purposes. , sexual abuse and attempted sexual abuse charges that afternoon. Springfield police have said a man matching O'Connell's description used a lollipop to entice a 7-year-old girl away from her apartment Aug. 27, then dragged her into nearby bushes and began removing her pants. A passer-by interrupted the assault and the man ran away. About 30 minutes later, the same man allegedly tried to lure two 5-year-old girls away from a nearby playground. He grabbed one girl, forced her to the ground and allegedly assaulted her. He ran away when a second girl started to scream. Springfield Detective Al Warthen interviewed O'Connell in Redding after his arrest. He said O'Connell admitted the two assaults. The suspect also told investigators he had approached two girls at an apartment on Roosevelt Boulevard The following roads are called Roosevelt Boulevard:
Police said O'Connell had stolen the identity of a Beaverton man and was using his name while in the area. A Redding police employee, who had received a flier about O'Connell from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, non-profit organization established in the United States in 1984 under United States government mandate. , entered his alias into a computer database and learned he was staying at a local homeless shelter. Redding police arrested him that night. After his prosecution here, O'Connell will return to California to face charges stemming from the November 1998 attack in Santa Cruz. In that case, the 3-year-old girl's parents heard her crying, entered her bedroom and saw a man fleeing the apartment, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. court documents. The suspect left a jacket behind, and O'Connell's fingerprints Impressions or reproductions of the distinctive pattern of lines and grooves on the skin of human fingertips. Fingerprints are reproduced by pressing a person's fingertips into ink and then onto a piece of paper. were found on a page torn from a paperback book and stuffed inside the pocket. If convicted, it will be O'Connell's third strike in that state and he could face life in prison. |
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