A Saudi Arabian prince arrested after a bleeding woman fled a Los Angeles mansion last month claiming sexual assault won’t face felony charges.

Majed Abdulaziz al-Saud, 29, was initially scheduled to appear in court Monday on a felony charge of forced oral copulation.

But the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has decided not to pursue the matter, U.S. News has learned, meaning he will not face felony charges, including the one for which he was arrested.

The office’s decision to drop the case likely will come as a surprise to some.



Detective Mark Fassam of the Los Angeles Police Department told U.S. News "it's definitely a file-able case" shortly after al-Saud's arrest.

In addition to the primary accuser, four other people told police they were victimized by the prince, though not all of them alleged sexual misconduct.

"There are five victims of varying degrees of seriousness,” Fassam said. "People obviously got violated."

Fassam said several felony and misdemeanor charges were possible. Physical evidence and witness statements were solid, he said.



Fassam, the primary investigator on the case, was out of the office Monday, and a colleague declined to comment.

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, says prosecutors did not come under external pressure to back off the case.

Al-Saud’s location is unclear. Neighbors told reporters it appeared he moved out of the palatial alleged crime scene after he was released on $300,000 bail, launching speculation he fled to avoid charges.

Saudi Arabia does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.



However, al-Saud’s defense attorney, Alan Jackson, says that although his client did move out of the mansion, he did not flee the country. “He’s in Southern California today,” Jackson says.

“My client has been very unfairly excoriated by the media for things he didn’t do,” he adds. “He’s extremely pleased with how the situation has turned out.”

Misdemeanor charges remain possible against al-Saud, who is also facing a lawsuit by three unidentified women claiming “intentional, outrageous, despicable, oppressive and fraudulent” behavior during a period between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23.

But Jackson doubts there will be misdemeanor charges, and says he believes the allegations were concocted by the alleged victims.

The civil lawsuit, al-Saud’s attorney says, shows the allegations were “nothing but a shakedown and a money play.”



“This is about money,” he charges. “It’s just a money play by them, trying to take advantage of a wealthy person.”

Attorneys representing the three unnamed women, however, say their clients do not include the woman who prompted police intervention when she tried to escape the mansion grounds.

Vadim Frish, one of the lawyers representing the women – who are in their 30s and were employed by the prince – says he believes it’s possible the district attorney’s office will at some point change its mind about felony charges.

“They were basically around him for three days and saw everything he had fun doing,” Frish says, declining to be more specific before filing an amended complaint. He says he suspects al-Saud may not challenge the lawsuit against him to avoid addressing specific allegations.

“I think they’re going to do whatever they can to not have these facts out there,” he says. "They don't want this story out."

The district attorney’s office passed the criminal case down to the Los Angeles City Attorney for review on whether it merits lesser misdemeanor charges. A spokesman for the city attorney’s office was unable to immediately provide information on the status of their review.