STOCKTON, CA - A Stockton man accused of killing and raping his own grandmother earlier this week has a lengthy criminal history, and was regularly arrested and released from the San Joaquin County Jail.
"In the last year, he's been in and out of custody on parole violations at least five times, and upward to 11 times, in and out of custody during that year," said Deputy District Attorney Sherri Adams.
Tuesday, 39-year-old Jerome Deavila was arrested and charged with the crimes. The body of his grandmother, 76-year-old Rachel Russell, was found in the backyard of her east Stockton home.
California Department of Corrections records show Deavila was arrested 12 times since last May on drug and failing to appear charges. His most recent court appearance was Feb. 19.
"He [pled] guilty for failure to register [as a sex offender]. He received a 30-day sentence and was released the next day [by] the San Joaquin County Jail," said Adams.
San Joaquin County sheriff's spokesman Dave Konecny disputed that charge, claiming his office has little control over who stays behind bars.
"We don't make the decision. It's based on the court cap [acity]. Contact the judge. We are told when they're released. They [judges] indicate who we release and when we release them," said Konecny.
Deavila was not offered bail at a court appearance Thursday. His public defender asked for a mental evaluation for her client after struggling to communicate with him in court.
By tdaly@news10.net
News10/KXTV