A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 40 years in prison following a jury found him guilty of aggravated robbery, the Collin County district attorney’s office announced Monday.
Stephon Washington was convicted June 30 of using a knife to rob a woman who was jogging at Towne Lake Park in McKinney in July of last year, according to court records. Washington has since appealed his conviction, records show.
“Women should feel as safe as men to enjoy outdoor exercise without fear of violent attack from a knife-wielding stranger,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. “This verdict helps protect our citizens from a predator hell-bent on continuing to terrorize women.”
The victim, whose identity was not released, was jogging on the morning of July 10, 2021, when Washington approached her from behind, held a knife to her neck and dragged her into a public restroom, the district attorney’s office said.
He threw her to the ground and demanded that she take off her shirt and give him money, according to the district attorney’s office. During the incident, Washington dropped the knife and cut his hand.
Before fleeing, he told the woman to “consider herself lucky,” the district attorney’s office said.
Washington was arrested by McKinney police later that day using DNA from the crime scene.
Two other felony charges in Denton County were filed during the punishment phase of the Washington trial, according to the district attorney’s office. In 2019, Washington assaulted a motel housekeeper with a gun following following her into a room she was cleaning.
Last June, Washington broke into a home following a man left for work, leaving his wife and two daughters alone, the district attorney’s office said. Washington entered the house through a window, reached the master bedroom, and claimed to be a police officer investigating home invasions.
He told the mother to send the two daughters to their rooms and took the mother by the arms. She managed to free herself and called 911, the district attorney’s office said. The police found her fingerprint on the window.
Both charges are pending in Denton County, the district attorney’s office said.
