City News Service
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CNS) – A jury is expected to be seated Monday for the trial of a felon accused of stabbing his girlfriend multiple times in an attack under an Indio bridge that he claimed stemmed from having a split personality.
Jamin “Jay” Demar Williams is charged with assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury and domestic violence, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Laura Garcia summoned multiple panels of prospective jurors to the Riverside Hall of Justice Monday for screening as to their availability and qualifications. Jury selection was interrupted Tuesday when Williams made an oral motion to fire his court- appointed attorney — it was unclear why — which Garcia denied after hearing arguments. The process restarted Wednesday, reducing the number of prospective jurors.
The judge ordered those remaining to return to the downtown courthouse on Monday, when jury selection is likely to conclude.
Williams is being held without bail at the nearby Robert Presley Jail.
According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, on the afternoon of April 22, 2024, the defendant became irate with the victim, identified only as an area transient, for unspecified reasons.
The brief said Williams and the woman had sometimes shared her tent under the Golf Center Parkway Bridge in Indio, and their year-long relationship had involved acts of domestic abuse, though nothing comparable to April 22.
The victim later told Indio Police Department investigators that she was relaxing in her tent when the defendant rushed inside and accused her of “setting me up.”
He punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, then kicked her as she attempted to get up, the brief alleged.
“After kicking and punching the victim, the defendant began stabbing her,” according to the narrative. “During the assault, the defendant told her, `I’m going to kill you today. I don’t give a (expletive) about you.'”
For over a half-hour, Williams allegedly held her inside the tent by threatening her with a six-inch knife, according to the prosecution. He inflicted a wound to the right side of her neck, stabbed her three times in the left arm and shoulder, and once behind the right ear, prosecutors alleged.
When the victim finally broke away, she fled to a nearby 7-Eleven and asked a clerk to call 911, which immediately brought patrol units to the location, court papers stated.
Officers detained the defendant under the bridge following a brief confrontation, during which he allegedly baited them to “shoot me, just shoot me then,” the brief said. No shots were fired during his arrest, and neither Williams nor the police personnel suffered injuries.
The woman was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of her wounds, from which she has since recovered.
Williams was interviewed by detectives that evening, telling them he had “three split personalities,” according to the prosecution.
He named the persons as “Jay,” “Ashad” and “Quick.”
“The defendant stated neither Jay or Ashad harmed the victim and were unaware of what happened,” the brief said. “The defendant stated he does not talk to Quick, and Quick did not want to speak with defendant or the police. He told police he knew the woman but never lived under the bridge. He was unsure how he obtained blood on his clothing and body.”
Court records indicated that Williams underwent psychiatric evaluations throughout 2024 and was determined to be competent to stand trial.
He has documented prior convictions for making criminal threats and first-degree burglary, resulting in prison time.
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