A Santa Clarita City Council candidate who was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two teenage girls was released from jail early Saturday after prosecutors failed to file criminal charges against him, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Citing insufficient evidence, the district attorney’s office said no charges would be filed against 26-year-old Johnny Pride, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
"This is a pending investigation for us," Whitmore said, adding that investigators are now waiting on results from medical examinations of the two girls.
Pride was arrested Thursday evening on suspicion of rape, lewd acts and oral copulation of two 14-year-old girls. Investigators said he allegedly gave the girls alcohol at his apartment before allegedly assaulting them on Feb. 27.
The girls reported the assaults Tuesday, Whitmore said. "We interviewed the girls separately and their stories matched," he said.
While Pride was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, investigators said they served a search warrant at his apartment.
Pride, a male model and a former reality TV show contestant, is running for a seat on the Santa Clarita City Council in the April 13 election.
— Ruben Vives
Photo: Johnny Pride. Credit: Myspace