HAYWARD — A San Francisco man has been charged with attacking a woman as she walked home at night, in what police believe was a failed attempt to force her into prostitution.
Taz Guest, 28, was charged with assault, criminal threats, and sexual battery, all felonies, in connection with the May 30 attack. Authorities say he made lewd advances toward the woman as she walked along the sidewalk at the 100 block of Jackson Street around 10:20 p.m. on May 30, then grabbed her breast and tried to reach down her pants when she told him “no.”
Guest was identified as a suspect and subsequently arrested on June 4. In a police interview, he allegedly admitted to the attack — but denied doing anything sexual in nature — and to threatening to kill the woman. Police say he told them he’d only been living in California a few months, yet demonstrated a good understanding of the local sex trade, including its general terminology and local areas where prostitution occurs on the streets.
That all lines up with the woman’s description of Guest’s alleged verbalizations. She reportedly told police that Guest screamed “I’m a pimp” at her and added that he was armed. He also said “I know you want me,” and mentioned he wasn’t afraid to kill her, according to police.
Police say the woman fought Guest off, first by throwing a can of Red Bull at him, then by kicking and punching until he left her alone.
Guest is in jail with bail set at $200,000, but that may soon change. He is set to go before a judge on Monday for a bail hearing, to determine if he should be released or have his bail lowered by 75 percent. A defense motion says that a pretrial services report determined Guest is 95 percent likely not to get re-arrested and 85 percent likely to appear in court if he’s released.
The motion also calls into question whether Guest is guilty at all, casting doubt on the identification made by the victim, known in court only as “Jane Doe.”
“Though the attack described in the reports probably took place over at least a few minutes, it’s quite possible, even likely, that Ms. Doe so concerned with protecting herself that she could not fully observe her assailant’s face,” the defense motion says.