DCSO: Bend-area man drugged, raped woman answering Craigslist ad

(Update: New info on charges; woman already renting room at time of alleged rape)

A standoff at a home northwest of Bend late Thursday night involved use of two “flash-bang” devices before the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team arrested a 54-year-old man on rape and other charges for allegedly drugging and assaulting a woman who had rented a room after answering a Craigslist ad.

The sheriff’s office began an investigation Tuesday after receiving reports from two females who believe they were drugged and sexually assaulted by Eric Bill Jonsson, Sgt. Jayson Janes said.

The investigation led to service of a search warrant at Jonsson’s home in the 19000 block of Klippel Road around 10:30 p.m. Thursday by deputies and detectives, along with the sheriff’s office SWAT team.

SWAT team members tried to get Jonsson to come out for more than 30 minutes, without success, Janes said. During that time, the SWAT team used two “noise/flash diversionary devices, causing very loud bangs in the area,” the sergeant said.

The SWAT team eventually gained entry and took Jonsson into custody without further incident, Janes said.

Jonsson was booked into the county jail on charges of first-degree rape, two counts each of first-degree sex abuse and unlawful sexual penetration, as well as “causing another person to ingest controlled substances” and delivery of a controlled substance. His bail totaled $427,500, jail records showed.

Janes said one of the women met Jonsson through Craigslist, where he was advertising a room for rent.

“We do believe that there may be other victims, so this is an active investigation,” Bailey told NewsChannel 21. “We’re asking anyone that knows him, that spends time with him – particularly if they’ve had a memory loss or a lapse of time when spending time with him – to call in and speak to our detective about it.”

Jonsson was arraigned Friday on the initial district attorney’s office charges, called an “information.” The document filed Friday lists only two counts, first-degree rape and second-degree sexual abuse. It names one victim and said the incident happened on or about Oct. 30, when the victim “was incapable of consent by reason of (being) physically helpless.”

Jonsson is scheduled to return to court next Friday for arraignment on an expected formal indictment, after the case is presented to a grand jury.

B ailey said Saturday the two initial filed charges stem from the October incident, which involved a woman in her late 40s who was visiting from California. He said the DA has not yet charged Jonsson in regards to the incident involving the woman who answered the Craigslist ad.

The sergeant also clarified that the second incident allegedly occurred after the woman had been staying at Jonsson’s home for about a month, not at the time she answered the ad offering a room for rent.

As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information or similar contacts with Jonsson to contact Detective Doug Jackson at 541-617-3352.

Bailey said investigators are concerned there may be other victims. They want to hear from anyone who experienced memory loss, gaps in time or became ill when they were with Jonsson.

A decade ago, Johnson was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender, stemming from a 2004 Jefferson County case in which he pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse and coercion, court records show.