SANTA ANA — A 22-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old Chapman University freshman outside of her dormitory early Friday morning.
Dalante Jerome Bell, 22, of Anaheim, has been charged with one felony count of assault with intent to commit a sex offense and sexual penetration by a foreign object.
Bell faces a maximum of sentence of eight years in state prison if convicted on all charges. He is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange on $500,000.
Around midnight on September 23, 2021, Bell is accused of wearing a mask and attacking an 18-year-old student who was video chatting with her boyfriend. The woman fought back against her attacker, who fled the scene as people came to help the victim.
Numerous surveillance cameras captured the attacker leaving the scene.
Bell was arrested by the Orange Police Department after his parents watched news coverage of the attack and recognized their son as a person of interest
“College students should be focused on learning, not worrying about being sexually assaulted by someone lurking in the shadows outside of their dorm,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “This brave woman did what she could to fight back and call for help. Thankfully this individual was quickly arrested and is no longer able to prey on unsuspecting college students. And now the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything it can to ensure this sexual predator is held accountable.”
Deputy District Attorney Austin Neiman of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.