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CONCORD — A suspect who remains in custody in lieu of $1,250,000 bond faces charges for a rape and robbery that happened earlier this month. The female victim was walking alone along a pedestrian/bike trail near North Concord BART station. A cyclist helped rescue the woman.
She was violently attacked on April 8 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Larry D. Ridge Jr., 40, of Berkeley, allegedly pushed the victim to the ground and proceeded to rape her. The woman fought off the attacker until he fled taking with him her phone and wallet. He left behind her purse.
The victim and a witness followed the suspect toward the nearby BART station, where a station agent phoned for police. Multiple BART and Concord officers responded to the scene. BART officers detained Ridge at the train station. The victim and witness identified Ridge as the assailant, before he was placed under arrest by Concord police at 7:17 p.m.
Ridge remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. He is next scheduled to appear for a preliminary court hearing on April 22. His charges are forcible rape, assault with intent to commit a felony, and second-degree robbery.
Ridge has a prior conviction for murder in 2005, and he faces special allegations for previous serious or violent felonies. He also has other prior arrests, including most recently in March for sexual battery in San Mateo County.
