Shannon Travalis Lawson
MILPITAS — The Milpitas Police Department is reporting the arrest of a sexual assault suspect who was targeting prostitutes at local hotels in the area.
According to CBS SF, 26-year-old Shandon Travalis Lawson has been booked into the Santa Clara County Jail for rape, oral copulation, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, strangulation, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with the intent to commit a felony, and possession of a controlled substance.
The suspect was first identified to police on September 26 at 4:06 AM when he attacked a 21-year-old female victim who had arrived to enter her room at the Baymont Inn and Suites, located at 66 South Main Street, in Milpitas.
A description of the suspect was sent out in hopes of finding him and stopping him before another incident could occur. But then on Monday, October 2 at approximately 9:18 P.M., Milpitas Police received an urgent call reporting that an African-American male, wearing a green construction safety vest, had just attacked a 19-year-old female victim at the Brookside Inn, located at 400 Valley Way, in Milpitas.
“The victim managed to escape by jumping out of a second-floor window and immediately called 9-1-1,” Milpitas Police Lieutenant Raj Maharaj said. Lawson’s arrest followed soon thereafter.
Lawson’s bail was set at $1.6 million. He faces up to 500 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges.
