Tacoma suspect pleads guilty to robbery with sexual motivation, sentencing set
Leon Bronson Jr is being held on $1,000,000 bail
TACOMA, Wash. - October 1, 2023 - Leon Bronson Jr will be sentenced on October 13th.
The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office says he pleaded guilty on July 17 to Robbery 1 w/Sexual Motivation, Kidnapping 1, Burglary 1, and Identity Theft 2.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A suspect accused in an attempted rape and robbery is in jail after Tacoma police say he admitted to using the victim's stolen credit card to sign up for a dating site.
Pierce County prosecutors have charged Leon Bronson Jr. with multiple felony charges including Attempted Rape in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree and Identity Theft in the 2nd Degree. The 45-year-old was arrested by Tacoma police on Friday.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Andrews set bail at his arraignment today at $1,000,000.
According to court documents, a woman woke up around 4 a.m. on Nov. 16 and went outside her apartment on Cheyenne Loop Road South to smoke a cigarette when she saw the suspect approaching her with a gun pointed at her.
She told officers that the suspect grabbed her by the throat and asked her where the money was at. She said she tried to fight and struggle, but the suspect forced his way inside the apartment while still holding her by the throat. The attack was seen on surveillance video.
She told police that the suspect then dragged her from room to room checking to see if anyone else was home. She says he then took her to the bedroom and asked for her jewelry.
According to the probable cause documents, "The defendant then said he was going to rape the victim and pushed her face down on the bed. The defendant was holding her down by the back of her neck and pulled her sweatpants down. The victim said she fought hard to keep the defendant from pulling her underway down. The defendant then pulled her to the bathroom and forced her to her knees."
When the suspect let go of her throat to unbutton his pants, the woman says she screamed, startling the suspect who stole her purse with her credit cards and ran out of the room.
Detectives say they identified Bronson as the suspect after he used the victim’s stolen credit card to sign up for a dating site.
Police say that at the time of his arrest, he had a CO2 pistol that matches the description of the gun used in the case. Detectives also served a search warrant on the vehicle he was in when he was arrested and say they located a backpack with 'LEON' written on it and a BB gun that was the same model as one stolen from the woman.
When questioned by detectives, Bronson said the woman started screaming when he approached her and asked her for a cigarette.
"He said that he ‘freaked out’ and pushed her inside the apartment to get her to be quiet. He denied trying to rape the victim. He did admit that he pushed her into the bathroom because he was trying to find a way to lock her in there, so he could flee," according to the police report.
Detectives say Bronson admitted to taking her purse and using the stolen credit card.
Police noted in the report that the defendant "appeared upset that he was being accused of rape and said multiple times he did not rape the victim. The defendant did tell police that he could see how it may have looked like a robbery, so he would admit to that, but not the sexual assault."
Bronson also admitted that a bucket and broom he was seen carrying at the apartment complex belonged to him.
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