PRESS RELEASE

UPDATE

 
Date:               June 16, 2020
Incident:          22-Year-Old Parolee Arrested for the Assault of a 62-year-old Man                       
Case #:                        932004550
Location:        Foothill Boulevard/Spruce Street, Rialto, CA
Suspect:           Devontea Larryon Franklin 22-year-old, Resident of Victorville
Victim:            62-year-old Male, Rialto Resident
 
UPDATED INFORMATION
Davontea Franklin, a 22-Year-old man from Victorville has been charged for Elder Abuse and Felony Battery.  Franklin is a convicted felon and released from prison (out on parole) in 2018.  Franklin was subsequently re-arrested on June 12, 2020, by the Rialto Police Department on an unrelated theft charge and booked into the West Valley Detention Center.  Detectives continued investigating this crime for the past week and connected Franklin to the June 8th assault.  While still in-custody, Franklin was interviewed and charged for Elder Abuse and Felony Battery.
 
Franklin’s Bail has been set at $100,000.00 for the assault and is further being held in-custody on a no-bail parole hold.  Franklin’s photograph is being released to the public in hope that witnesses or anyone with information regarding this crime will contact the Rialto Police Department.   

PREVIOUS INFORMATION
A 62-year-old male was assaulted while waiting at a bus stop Monday morning,
June 8, 2020. Despite information circulating on social media and online claiming it was racially motivated, officers have not been able to determine the motivation of the suspect, who is outstanding.
 
The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. while the Korean victim and Rialto resident, was waiting at the bus stop located at Foothill Boulevard and Spruce Avenue in the City of Rialto. The victim’s statement was obtained through family members who brought him to the police station and assisted with translating from Korean to English.  Family members translated that the victim was getting on the bus when he was pulled down to the ground from behind.  The victim reportedly struck his face on the curb, causing him to sustain a cut and abrasions. The victim saw the suspect for a brief moment and described him as a Black male adult.
 

The incident, including photos of the victim’s injuries were posted on social media by a family member along with a statement that the victim had been assaulted on the bus and that it was racially motivated, because the suspect made a comment about the Coronavirus. The posts have reached a significant amount of people which also sparked media attention.
 
On June 9, 2020, detectives re-interviewed the victim and were able to confirm that he was not on the bus and that the suspect actually never said anything to him. The victim described the suspect as a Black male wearing a black hooded sweater or jacket with white pants and was last seen running westbound on Foothill Boulevard.
The family member who originally posted the misinformation on social media has become aware of what actually transpired and attempted to set the record straight on social media.  

The Rialto Police Department is currently investigating the crime as felony elder abuse and will evaluate if it was at all racially motivated based on how the investigation unfolds. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to contact Detective Anthony Glass (909) 820-8080.