Torrance woman details horrifying rape by suspect released from jail hours before attack
A Torrance woman is detailing the harrowing details of her rape at the hands of a suspect who was released from jail just hours before assaulting her in hopes of raising awareness and reminding women to be alert.
Marissa Young was walking her dogs after work on July 31, at around 1 a.m. on Emerald Street in Torrance, when she was brutally attacked.
"I certainly wasn't looking at my phone, inebriated, I didn't have any headphones in or anything when he came up behind me. He was just that quiet," she said.
She was violently beaten and raped by Darrell Dean Waters, a 46-year-old homeless man, who was arrested days earlier on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of a dagger. He was released on his own recognizance about 12 hours before the attack.
The attack, which lasted for nearly 30 minutes, left Young with missing teeth and a broken nose, eye socket and jaw. Somehow, she was able to fight him off long enough that he ran from the area.
"Probably three-quarters of the attack I fought back, cause I was fighting for my life," she said. "It was a crime of opportunity, because I'm of small stature and my back was to him."
Waters was arrested nearly 24 hours later, about two miles from the site of the attack, after receiving Young's police report. He was charged with one felony count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by use of force.
While she's telling her story in hopes of making other women more alert, she said it's much more difficult than that, because of the widespread fear it can cause.
"It's a difficult thing to discuss, cause I don't want to warn women necessarily, because we have to be able to go out and do things like walk our dogs."
As she continues to put her life back together in the wake of the horrifying incident, unable to return to work, her friends have put together a fundraiser to help her cover the cost of living and medical expenses. It can be found by searching the terms "Help Her Heal" on GoFundMe.
Young is angry that Waters was released so soon after he was originally arrested.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said they were not involved in Waters' release, clarifying that misdemeanor crimes are prosecuted by the city attorney in Torrance.
When approached for a statement on the case, Torrance City Attorney Patrick Q. Sullivan said:
"The Torrance City Attorney's Office does not provide any input as to the custodial status of a misdemeanor arrestee until the case is presented for filing consideration. When the Torrance Police Department presented this case to our office for filing consideration on August 3, 2022, Mr. Waters had already been released from custody. The release of misdemeanor offenders is governed by Penal Code section 853.6. Upon reviewing the case, it appears that the release by the Torrance Police Department was in accordance with Penal Code section 853.6."
Penal Code section 853.6 states that any person arrested for a misdemeanor offense that does not demand to be taken before a judge will be released upon signing a written notice to appear in court at a later time.