MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal history is back behind bars after police say he broke into an apartment and assaulted a woman while her children slept inside.
Isaiah St. Clair, 33, is facing multiple charges including sexual battery, aggravated burglary, and violating sex offender registry requirements following a disturbing series of incidents at The Stella Apartments on River Trace Drive, near Bartlett, in the early hours of May 8.
According to Memphis Police, St. Clair entered a woman’s apartment around 1 a.m. through an unlocked patio door. She reported waking up to find the man standing over her, touching her chest, before he fled the scene.
Residents told police they had seen the same man peeking into windows in the days leading up to the incident. Jasmine McDonald, a resident, shared her own frightening encounter.
“It was like three in the morning. I heard something at my window,” McDonald said. “He was pulling the screen off my bedroom window. I started yelling and pushing the blinds to scare him off. He was definitely trying to come in.”
St. Clair’s criminal history includes two aggravated burglaries and sexual battery charges from 2016. He was convicted in 2017 and sentenced to nine years in prison. Records also show he was arrested in 2023 for attempted aggravated burglary and received a two-year sentence.
Authorities say it’s unclear when he was released, but the recent charges suggest a pattern of repeat offenses.
While police eventually tracked and arrested St. Clair, residents like McDonald say they’re taking extra steps to feel safe.
“I’ve signed up for self-defense classes,” McDonald said. “We’re just trying to stay safe out here.”
St. Clair remains in custody as the investigation continues, and court proceedings for the new charges are pending.
