By Julian Navarro
SACRAMENTO – A purple blanket and a container of cranberry juice—Darnee Dinkins was found with those items on Jan. 19, 2018, and he faced sexual assault and robbery charges last week in Sacramento County Superior Court because of it.
Dinkins is accused of breaking into an apartment where the victim was sexually assaulted and robbed of a purple blanket and bottle or box of cranberry juice.
Sheriff’s Deputy Branden Voetsch checked a nearby park and noticed a person, Dinkins, with a purple blanket and a juice container.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Spencer said he talked to the victim’s two roommates, and one told him that someone broke into the apartment and sexually assaulted his roommate. When Deputy 
Spencer arrived at the scene he noticed that the sliding glass door that leads to the patio was shattered.
Deputy Spencer said the victim said she was sexually assaulted, but he needed assistance from the female roommate to translate from Cantonese to English.
During a later interview, victim said that she was in her room when the defendant entered the room when she was lying on her bed, on her phone, and started to sexually assault her.
Defense Attorney Tim Clinkenbeard wanted to dismiss the deputy’s statements on the grounds that there they were taken without a competent translator.
Judge Allen H. Sumner stated he would check case law before he would rule on the objection, and decided to hear the prosecution’s case before deciding on dismissing statements or not.
Deputy Spencer continued his testimony and described what the victim told him. The alleged victim stated that she was in her room when she saw the defendant enter her room, and she described him as a 5’10 Black male who had a dark color shirt and pants. Dinkins entered the room and removed his shirts and lay right next to the victim on her bed.
According to the victim, the defendant entered her room, removed his shirt and began to speak to her, explaining to her he’s not a bad guy. And then he started to take off his remaining clothes, even though the victim told him to leave.
The defendant forced himself on her, and began to assault her. The victim tried to fight back as Dinkins tried to sexually assault her multiple times. The defendant wanted to stay until morning, but the victim told him to leave—he grabbed a juice bottle in the kitchen and left.
Prior to this incident, in 2017, the defendant burglarized her apartment when she was there with her roommates. In this incident, the defendant broke into the home and took an orange blanket, and left the scene.
Judge Sumner ruled there was enough information presented to show probable cause for the charges of sexual assault and robbery. He denied defense attorney Clinkenbeard’s motion to suppress evidence and probable cause.
To sign up for our new newsletter – Everyday Injustice – https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9
Support our work – to become a sustaining at $5 – $10- $25 per month hit the link:
