Man Accused Of Touching Woman On Bus And Forcing Himself On Another Woman In Colfax
COLFAX (CBS13) — Deputies have arrested a man accused of inappropriately touching two women in Colfax last week.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office says the first incident happened a little after 5 p.m. on Aug. 12. Deputies responded to Canyon Way to investigate a report about a man allegedly inappropriately touching a woman on a Greyhound bus.
A deputy spotted the suspect walking along the shoulder of Interstate 80, but the suspect managed to dart across the freeway and get away.
Later that day, a woman reported that she had stopped to help a man she thought was a stranded pedestrian. At some point, the man allegedly forced himself on her and inappropriately touched her as well.
The woman got back in her car and tried to get away, but she says the man was also partially inside. She then drove off, causing him to fall out.
A California Highway Patrol officer soon found that same suspect again on the side of the freeway. He ran away again, but an hours-long search - with the help of a law enforcement aircraft - ended with the suspect finally in custody.
The suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Fernley, Nev. resident Joseph Bonnie. Deputies say they found him with two glass smoking pipes, four Xanax pills, one oxycodone pill, and two concealed fixed-blade knives.
Bonnie is now facing charges of sexual battery, false imprisonment, carrying a concealed dirk, resisting a peace officer, violation of parole, and several drug-related charges. Further, deputies say he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Lassen County.
