Two Juveniles Charged In Jamestown Assault
Sonora, CA – The Tuolumne County D.A. has charged two unidentified juveniles with the alleged assault of a 24-year-old gay man at the Jamestown Terrace Apartments last week and is seeking to charge the older teen as an adult while still investigating whether it was a hate crime.
District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke updated today that charges have been filed against the unidentified minors accused of taking part in the attack. She detailed that the 17-year-old was arrested on Friday (1/31) and the 13-year-old on Saturday (2/1), and their names will “remain confidential unless or until ordered otherwise by the court.”
Both minors are charged with felony assault with force likely to commit great bodily injury. The 17-year-old minor has an added charge of personally inflicted great bodily injury to the victim in violation of Penal Code Section 12022.7, which is a sentence enhancement of three to six years if committed during a felony. To get a minor transferred to an adult court, they must be 16 or 17 when the crime is committed and go through a delinquency court system first. Jenecke added that her office filed a transfer petition for the 17-year-old. Regarding charging it as a possible hate crime, she advised, “Prosecutors are bound by an ethical obligation to file only those charges and enhancements that we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt at the time of filing. Investigation into the motive behind the assault is ongoing.”
As reported here on Monday (2/3), 44-year-old Christopher Jacobs of Jamestown was also arrested on January 31, 2025. However, he was able to post bail. His first court date is Friday, February 24, 2025.
Recognizing the community’s concern for the safety of LGBTQIA+ people due to this case, Jenecke noted that her office cannot discuss the particular facts of this case. Her office is ethically obligated to protect the integrity of the investigation and prosecution by minimizing the release of information before the final adjudication of the charges filed.
“Separate from the case at issue, it is clear from the past week’s discourse that members of Tuolumne County’s LGBTQIA+ community do not feel safe in Tuolumne County. This is unacceptable,” further stated Jenecke. “This is a public safety issue. Hate in any form will not be tolerated. My primary duty in protecting our community is to ethically hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I am committed to cultivating an environment of safety for all in Tuolumne County. We are in contact with the United States Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS), who we hope can help us promote public safety by facilitating anti-hate dialogue within our community.”
