CHARLOTTE — Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included an inaccurate photo. We apologize for the error.
A man convicted of robbing two women and sexually assaulting one of them in uptown Charlotte in 2019 has been sentenced to prison, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said that around 4 a.m. on July 5, 2019, two women were walking on West Sixth Street, northwest of North Graham Street, when a man with a gun approached them. The man threatened both women and sexually assaulted one of them at a nearby construction site, according to investigators. The DA said he tossed the woman to the ground, put her in a chokehold, and put a gun to her head before dragging her to the construction site. The man also robbed the women of their backpacks and fired the gun, though neither victim was shot.
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CMPD told Channel 9 veteran crime reporter Mark Becker that the woman who was not assaulted was able to pick up an object -- a piece of rebar, according to the DA -- and hit the attacker in the head, which caused the attacker to take off running. When someone called 911 after hearing the gunshots and the victims’ yells for help, officers arrived and quickly arrested 21-year-old Jordan Bryson-Antonio Douglas.
According to the DA, the woman who was assaulted and her friend who fought back against their attacker both testified in court during the trial earlier this month.
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Douglas was tried for six charges:
- First-degree sex offense
- First-degree kidnapping
- Robbery with a dangerous weapon
- Resisting a public officer
- Attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon
- Assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill
The jury found him guilty of the first four listed charges and two more charges related to the robbery that were lesser than the final two listed.
Douglas was sentenced to 304 to 437 months in prison, which is more than 25 years and four months to about 36 and a half years. When released from prison, Douglas must register as a sex offender for 30 years.
Channel 9 found out Douglas had been arrested 10 times in the three years prior to the crime, including once for another armed robbery.
“The District Attorney’s Office commends both women for their courage, not only that day but also in court,” the release said. “Their testimony was crucial and secured a conviction that protects the entire community.”
(WATCH: CMPD arrests suspect in vicious kidnapping, assault caught on doorbell camera in east Charlotte)
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