SAN DIEGO—
A 49-year-old ex-con is back behind bars on suspicion of abducting and raping a 15-year-old East County girl, the sheriff's department reported Wednesday.David Joseph Lascelles, a transient parolee, got together with the teen Monday morning on the pretense of taking her Christmas shopping, sheriff's Sgt. Justin White alleged.
"The subject knows the victim through a family member, and so it was under the guise of shopping that she was somewhat lured there," said Jan Caldwell of The San Diego Sheriff's Department.
After the two arrived at a Wal-Mart store in unincorporated El Cajon, Lascelles allegedly pulled a pistol on the girl, took her cell phone and forced her to lie on the floor of his Mitsubishi Eagle.
He then took the El Cajon resident to the Fiesta Island area of Mission Bay, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and held her captive for several hours, the sergeant said. About 4 p.m., Lascelles drove to Alpine and dropped the teenager off at the home of one of her relatives, White said.
After being freed, the girl immediately reported the purported crimes.
Early Tuesday afternoon, members of a fugitive task force caught up with the suspect at a business in the 1200 block of Imperial Avenue in the East Village district of downtown San Diego and took him into custody without incident.
Lascelles was booked into county jail on suspicion of kidnapping to commit rape, forcible rape and other sex assault-related charges. He was being held without bail pending an initial court appearance scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The suspect, who met the alleged victim last year through one of her family members, has served prison time for kidnapping and burglary convictions, according to White.
Lascelles apparently has been living in his vehicle for some time, the sergeant said.
