Virginia man sentenced for sexually assaulting his biological mother

NORFOLK, Va. (TCN) -- A 32-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for sexually assaulting and physically wounding his biological mother, as well as carjacking a neighbor on the same day.

The Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office announced June 12 that Melvin O'Neal III received a sentence of life in prison, plus 33 years. He previously pleaded guilty in March to malicious wounding and forcible sodomy against his mother, and a jury found him guilty in October 2024 of carjacking and unlawfully wounding the man.

According to prosecutors, on Jan. 7, 2023, O'Neal went to his mother's home and turned on the shower. O'Neal reportedly "called his mother into the bathroom to check on something" before "beating her over her head," knocking her to the ground, and dragging her into a bedroom. Authorities said O'Neal "forcibly removed his mother’s clothes, continued to hit her when she resisted, and sexually assaulted her."

Following the attack, O'Neal ordered his mother to get him a cigarette, and she was able to run away and seek medical help.

Approximately 45 minutes later, O'Neal went outside and noticed a man cleaning a vehicle. O'Neal purportedly went into the driver's side of the running car while the man was vacuuming. The man threatened to fight O'Neal, but he "gestured as if he had a weapon and told the man to get out of the car."

The man refused to get out of the vehicle, and O'Neal allegedly put the car in reverse and crashed it into a home. A fight between the man and O'Neal ensued until police arrived. Authorities said O'Neal bit the man in the face, causing a severe injury, and he was charged with carjacking and malicious wounding. According to prosecutors, officers recognized O'Neal as the suspect who also sexually assaulted his mother.

O'Neal's mother reportedly went through a sexual assault examination at the hospital and told investigators what her son did. He was initially charged with assaulting a family member, malicious wounding, and two counts of forcible sodomy. Officials found O'Neal's DNA on his mother.

Prosecutors noted that O'Neal has a history of mental illness, substance-use disorder, and traumatic brain injury. He reportedly said he used drugs and alcohol on the day of the attacks. He was initially found mentally incompetent to stand trial before he was restored to competency.

In a statement, Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said, "A life sentence, whether it is one that we argue for or not, is deadly serious. Mr. O’Neal’s crimes here were the culmination of a lifetime of criminal behavior, traumatic experiences, and mental illness. What Mr. O’Neal did to the victims in these cases, including his own mother, is inexcusable and demonstrates that he is a risk to the safety of other people."

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