Man denied bail in ‘unspeakably violent assault’ in Modesto
A judge in Stanislaus Superior Court on Thursday set “no bail” for a man who is accused of kidnapping and severely beating a woman in Modesto in an attempt to sexually assault her.
Deputy District Attorney Patrick Hogan said defendant Ellis Jamal Grey, 42, was on parole for previous violent felony convictions when the “unspeakably violent assault” occurred March 13.
Speaking during Grey’s arraignment Thursday, Hogan said the victim was at a gas station on Maze Boulevard in west Modesto around 6:35 a.m. when the suspect allegedly grabbed her and dragged her several blocks to a yard on Maple Street. The victim told investigators the suspect was a stranger to her.
Hogan said the suspect allegedly “brutally assaulted her by stomping on her face” until witnesses called police.
The victim suffered multiple fractures to her face and vertebrae, as well as a brain bleed, and spent several days in intensive care, Hogan said.
He said at the time of the assault, Grey was on parole for a prior conviction of assault with a firearm and had other convictions for offenses including reckless evading.
Grey was found and arrested several days after the assault and charged with premeditated attempted murder, kidnapping for the purpose of rape or oral copulation and assault with intent to commit sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty.
Hogan argued that due to the vicious and random nature of the assault, the seriousness of the charges — including two that make him eligible for a life sentence — his criminal history and the threat he poses to “random individuals in the public,” the $1 million bail he was booked on should be changed to “no bail.”
Grey’s defense attorney said he objected to the factual basis of the case presented by Hogan and said no-bail holds typically are reserved for death penalty cases. He said Grey has a constitutional right to not have an arbitrarily bail set due to the “whim of a district attorney.”
Judge Gloria Rhynes said given the seriousness of Grey’s criminal record and the offenses alleged, she ordered he be held with no bail. “No condition short of detention will reasonably address the concerns, paramount of which is the safety of individuals in the community,” she said.
Rhynes said the ruling was provisional and Grey’s attorney would again have an opportunity to argue for a different bail after receiving discovery in the case.
Grey is scheduled to return to court March 23.
This story was originally published March 20, 2022 at 10:34 AM.
