Attempted rapist faces life

A man could spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted last week of a bizarre attempted rape, according to a press release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.

James Carter, 55, of Santa Cruz, was found guilty last week (Sept. 8) of assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary. On May 28, Carter (pictured) broke into a Gridley residence he’d crashed his car into, sneaked through the room of a sleeping toddler and climbed into bed with the child’s sleeping parents. He groped the female, who believed Carter to be her husband until she heard him moan. He fled when the woman’s husband woke up, and the couple cornered him in a neighbor’s outbuilding until authorities arrived.

Carter claimed to have had a bad reaction to methamphetamine, but testing by authorities found no signs of impairment. During the jury trial, an Arkansas woman said Carter had tried to rape her in 2006. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 8.