A man accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a woman in San Diego's Mount Hope area has a lengthy criminal record that includes a similar kidnapping case in 2002, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Phillip McLeod, 47, allegedly attacked a woman on Dec. 20, at around 11:30 p.m., as the victim walked along Delta Street near Balboa Elementary School.
According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), McLeod pulled up to the woman in his white, two-door pickup truck, got out and threatened to use a Taser on her. He then allegedly forced the victim into his truck and drove her to a secluded area near 39th Street and Broadway where he sexually assaulted her.
At McLeod’s arraignment Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza said the 27-year-old victim fought back after the first attack.
Following the struggle, McLeod drove the victim to the Logan Heights area where he tried to rape her again. The woman pleaded with him to let her go, and McLeod eventually released the victim near 32nd Street and National Avenue, police said.
McLeod was arrested on Dec. 29 in connection with the crime.
Espinoza asked a judge to set McLeod’s bail at $2 million and called him a danger to the community.
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The prosecutor said McLeod has a rap sheet that includes a 1990 burglary, a 1992 robbery and a 2002 kidnapping involving similar circumstances as the recent Mount Hope attack. Espinoza said McLeod was also charged with sexual crimes in that 2002 case but it was ultimately "resolved as a kidnapping."
In 2009, McLeod had another felony conviction, for which he spent time in prison, the prosecutor said.
Based on the suspect’s prior criminal history, a judge agreed to set McLeod’s bail at $2 million. He was also told to stay away from his victim.
McLeod, who stood behind a glass window during court proceedings, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth to the judge.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 14.
