A San Antonio man is headed to prison for a violent attempted rape of a woman.
Gary Franz DeVaughn, 59, was found guilty following a jury trial in April for charges of attempted aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In March 2020, the victim was found naked near the intersection of N. New Braunfels and E. Commerce begging for help. She had a head injury, broken nose and bite marks she said she sustained from a man who tried to sexually assault and beat her. The victim is homeless and could not be found to testify, but prosecutors presented evidence at the trial, including video and photos of the victim’s injuries showing her condition right after the attack.
The defendant had removed his GPS monitor and was not located until the last day of the trial. The jury found DeVaughn guilty on both charges. Judge Ron Rangel sentenced DeVaughn to 70 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division.
“These cases are extremely challenging in normal circumstances, but our prosecutors used every available resource to seek justice for this victim even in her absence. This defendant was previously charged with other violent offenses but was not held responsible because he targeted homeless women or women down on their luck who would not be available when he was brought to court on those charges. Thanks to the dedication of our team, this defendant is finally being held accountable and women in Bexar County won’t have to worry about being targeted by him ever again,” said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales.
Assistant District Attorneys Meredith MacIntire and Lauren Scott of the Family Violence Division prosecuted this case in the 379th District Court. The San Antonio Police Department investigated the crime.