Gregory Mars, a 45-year-old Oakland man convicted of rape in 2009, is accused of attacking two women in September. In one incident, a woman said he knocked her down and stabbed her in the shoulder while her 10-year-old son was present. Mars was paroled from New Folsom Prison in Represa in March and is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
Court records cited by East Bay Times describe two September incidents. In the first, on Sept. 11, a 23-year-old woman said Mars hit her in the face about five times inside his car and shouted, “I'm not letting you out, b—-.” According to filings, she opened the car door and escaped by screaming for help.
The second incident was reported on Sept. 29. A woman testified that she was walking with her 10-year-old son and a friend when Mars called her son a “fat a–.” She said Mars then knocked her down and stabbed her in the shoulder.
Pepper Spray, a Friend's Intervention, and Regret
The woman's friend brought out pepper spray during the Sept. 29 confrontation. The woman later said she blamed her friend for not de-escalating the situation and for introducing the spray. The account of her testimony was reported by East Bay Times.
Mars was arrested in connection with the Sept. 29 stabbing. East Bay Times reported that he was in a car with a man on parole for manslaughter in connection with a fatal 2012 Oakland shooting. Police also seized a box of unopened condoms and counterfeit currency from the scene, the outlet reported.
A 2009 Rape Conviction and a Troubled Parole
Mars was convicted of rape in 2009 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was also required to register as a sex offender. The East Bay Times account, citing court records, says he allegedly dragged his victim into his car, choked and sexually assaulted her, and told her he was “a pimp.”
Court papers described Mars's performance on parole as “acutely poor.” They allege, among other violations, that he falsely imprisoned a sex worker in his car. He now faces charges related to that allegation and allegations of assault with a knife in the September incidents.
How parole conditions can vary
California's sex-offender registration requirements do not, on their own, establish which parole restrictions applied to Mars. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says covered parolees may be subject to residency restrictions and transient requirements on a case-by-case basis. The guidance does not establish whether either restriction applied to Mars.
Prior Stabbing Arrest, No Charges Filed
Mars was also arrested in connection with an August stabbing, but was not charged in that case. According to court records cited by East Bay Times, he told the arresting officer he was innocent and that security-camera footage would prove it.
Mars is next due in court for a bond hearing on November 13. He remains held without bail at Santa Rita Jail as the case moves forward.
