An 18-year-old Richmond man, identified in court records as Malachi Attaway, has agreed to a six-year state prison term after entering a no-contest plea in a violent attack near El Cerrito's Del Norte BART station. Attaway pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment, while prosecutors agreed to drop a rape charge. A judge has set formal sentencing for March 11. Court papers say Attaway will have to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years and is ordered to stay away from the victim.
Plea and court records
According to court filings, Attaway admitted no contest to the assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment counts and accepted the six-year state prison term as part of the deal, The Press Democrat reported. The records list his age as 18 and spell out a criminal protective order requiring him to stay away from the woman who was attacked. The original rape charge was dismissed under the agreement.
What happened on the trail
El Cerrito police say the attack unfolded on May 18, 2025, along the Ohlone Greenway between Hill and Blake streets near the Del Norte BART station. Investigators told reporters the man and woman did not know each other and that the assault lasted about an hour before the victim managed to escape, running to nearby homes and banging on doors for help. Following the early-morning attack, the department issued a public alert and detectives launched a dedicated investigation into the case, according to SFGATE.
How he was identified and arrested
Investigators uploaded DNA evidence from the scene to the Combined DNA Index System and later received a match that they say led them to a suspect, local reporting shows. Police arrested Attaway on August 13, 2025, as he walked out of a Contra Costa County courtroom and booked him into the Martinez Detention Facility. He was held on $1.53 million bail, according to the Richmond Standard.
Plea terms and legal fallout
Under the plea agreement, Attaway will be required to register as a sex offender for at least a decade and must keep his distance from the victim under the protective order, court records state. While the rape count will not appear as a conviction, the record will show his no-contest plea to assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment, The Press Democrat noted.
What happens next
Sentencing is set for March 11, when a judge is expected to formally impose the agreed-upon six-year term and spell out any additional conditions. Hoodline first reported the August arrest; the case initially drew attention to safety along the BART path and prompted El Cerrito police to urge anyone with information to contact investigators.
