Soft-on crime Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is at it again—in his latest episode, he declined to file felony charges against a man caught on tape sexually assaulting a woman on a Long Beach sidewalk because he thought prosecutors would be “unable to prove restraint … nor specific intent.” 

It's pretty clear what this attacker's specific intent was. 

The George Soros-backed Gascón is one of a number of woke DAs who have turned many of our nation’s cities into war zones with their light charges and unwillingness to hold criminals to account.

The attack came on October 20 as Rebekah Pedersen was walking alone when a homeless man came up from behind and lifted her dress, causing her to fall. Luckily, a good Samaritan happened to intervene and scared the suspect off. The victim was understandably traumatized and called the assault "absolutely disgusting."

"When I turned around, I did notice he started picking up his pants," she said. "If it wasn't in broad daylight, and that [good Samaritan] was sitting there, [the suspect] would have raped me."

George Gascón decided to decline filing this case as a felony. Today the Long Beach City Attorney sent him a letter asking him to reconsider his decision. Still no comment from Gascón.

Gascón continues to abandon vulnerable victims, children, sexual assault survivors and our… https://t.co/Oox6dLH0pp

— jonathanhatami (@jonathanhatami) October 31, 2023

The above tweet by LA County Deputy DA Jonathan Hatami, who has announced he will attempt to take the top job from Gascón, continued:

Gascón continues to abandon vulnerable victims, children, sexual assault survivors and our communities.

We deserve better.

The suspect, Miguel Angel Avila Figueroa, 30, is currently jailed in lieu of $75,000 bail and will face a pretrial hearing on November 8. Pederson said she was “outraged” by the misdemeanor charge and that it was “1,000 percent an attempted rape.”

The Long Beach city prosecutor's office, which handles misdemeanors and was handed the case after felony charges were not filed, also urged Gascon to reconsider. In an email Monday, prosecutor Doug Haubert wrote:

If you look at the facts closely I think you will agree this could be an attempted rape, or assault with attempt to commit rape...

If felony charges are filed, the defendant could face increased incarceration, but it could also result in greater rehabilitation resources through Collaborative Court and the L.A. County Probation Department, which are not available for misdemeanor defendants.

At a minimum, bringing sexual assault charges at the felony level will more likely ensure the defendant has access to appropriate treatment, while exposing the defendant to additional jail or prison time, in an effort to better protect the public.

Gascón's office said that they would look into it, but based on his track record, I wouldn't hold my breath. This is the guy, after all, who refused to invoke the death penalty against a man who assassinated a sheriff's deputy in cold blood. His reasoning? Because for the families, "it would not bring their son, their brother, and their fiancé back from the dead." As if that were the sole purpose of the death penalty, to bring back murdered victims.

Former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva also thought that justice had not been served:

Another example of “reimagined”public safety, courtesy of Gascon and his enablers, @SupJaniceHahn @LACountyBOS, @LALabor, @LADemocrats and their scribe, the @latimes #VictimsMatterhttps://t.co/nQq3YtQiFS

— Alex Villanueva (@AlexVilanueva33) October 31, 2023

Gascón announced in mid-October that he will seek reelection in 2024, despite his staggering record of failure. He already has multiple challengers. It is far past time for Los Angeles voters to wake up to the reality that the woke DA is a menace to society and that he needs to be kicked out of office. 

Related:

Just Another Day in LA: Violent Criminal Let Loose by Woke DA George Gascon Kills His Neighbor

George Gascon Releases Another Violent Felon, This Time a Murderer Serving 50-Year Prison Sentence

Unrepentant: George Soros Vows to Continue Backing Woke Prosecutors Despite the Lives They’ve Ruined