After nearly a year of incarceration, the man accused of attacking and raping a 12-year-old Claremont girl will stand trial for his alleged crimes with jury selection beginning on Friday, April 3 in Pomona court.

Joseph Chandler Davall, 35, faces seven felony counts, including two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child; one count each of forcible rape; sexual penetration by foreign object, criminal threats, first degree burglary, person; and assault to commit a felony during the commission of first-degree burglary.

Last year, the Coachella Valley date farmer entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

Mr. Davall is accused of attacking and raping the preteen girl on March 21, 2014 while she slept in her Claremont home. The victim’s father and her younger sibling were both away from the residence—although they were not together—when the alleged crime occurred.

On October 27, the victim testified in open court that she had been at a friend’s house earlier in the evening when her father and his friend picked her up to take her home. As their vehicle approached her residence, she said she saw a suspicious-looking man, wearing a dark navy blue hat, walking on the sidewalk but she didn’t say anything to her father.

Once home, the girl’s father dropped her off at about 11 p.m. and went out with his friend, leaving the then 12-year-old girl alone in the apartment. She testified that she was tired and checked to make sure the doors were locked before heading off to her room to go to sleep. She was awoken a short time later and saw what she described as a “random person” in her room. The victim said he looked like the suspicious guy in the hat who she saw earlier outside her home.

The victim went on to describe her attack in detail, often with tears in her eyes. She recounted her struggle to break free of her ligatures and how, before he left, her attacker threatened her life if she told anyone about what had happened.

“I stayed in bed, sat up and waited for my dad to come home,” she recalled. “Then I left with him and we went to the police station.”

As the COURIER previously reported, the accused rapist was taken into custody at his Yucca Valley home on April 18 after a short pursuit involving Claremont police and the San Bernardino Sheriff. Police previously confirmed evidence relating to the Claremont crime was found at Mr. Davall’s residence. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office confirmed authorities linked the date farmer to the Claremont attack through the Combined DNA Index System.

Mr. Davall remains in custody at the Pitchess Detention Center North Facility in Castaic. If convicted as charged, the accused faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com