Venice Canals rapist and murderer gets life in prison for attacks on two women

A man who brutally sexually assaulted two women in the Venice Canals neighborhood of Los Angeles, leaving one of them dead nearly two months later, has been sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors announced Friday.

Anthony Francisco Jones attacked the women, both in their mid-40s and mid-50s, as they each were alone in the Venice community on April 6. Authorities have said Jones, 30, knocked them both unconscious with a hard object before he sexually assaulted them. One of the victims was left in a coma and remained hospitalized for several weeks. On May 20, she died from her injuries. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has described the attacks as "some of the most heinous sexual assaults I have ever seen." The seven felony charges against Jones were amended to include a count of murder following the victim's death.

"At one point, the victim regained consciousness, and Mr. Jones is accused of kicking her in the head again and standing over her throat," Gascón said.

Just a little over a week after the attack, Mary Klein, one of the victims, spoke out publicly and identified herself, saying she wanted to advocate on behalf of other women — in hopes that such an attack doesn't happen to anyone else.

"I think he tried to kill me, tried to choke me and tried to knock me out," Klein said. 

The beachside community has grappled with violent crime, said Klein, who was left with heavy bruising and her jaw wired shut. "We don't realize that our families are not safe," she said.

When the charges were announced, some of her loved ones were left shocked and saddened all over again by what happened.

"We all are reliving a little bit of the shock again as the charges were read out. And, I think, frankly a little bit of that anger is bubbling back up again," said Kate Evans, one of her friends.

"It's unspeakable that it happens, but when it happens to an angel like like Mary, you just want to make sure that she has all the love and support that she needs," Evans said.

Jones has pleaded no contest to charges including one count of murder, two counts of forcible rape, one count of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of mayhem, one count of torture and one count of sodomy by use of force, according to the LA County DA's Office. The only charge he did not plead guilty to that was initially filed against him was a count of attempted murder.

On Friday, the DA's office announced he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 107 years to life in state prison in addition to another eight years state prison, according to prosecutors.

"Our prosecutors fought hard to serve justice today in response to Mr. Anthony Jones' vile actions," Gascón said in a statement.