Recent Posts in Sexual Assault Category

This past Friday, a Los Angeles man that sexually assaulted his girlfriend's 11 year old daughter and then killed her was sentenced to death for the second time.  The man, 58 year old James Heard, allegedly killed the girl because she bit off part of his tongue.

In 2003, the California Supreme Court upheld Heard's conviction, but then overturned his first death sentence.  The Court found that the trial judge improperly excused a man during the jury selection process.

Heard was sentenced again in Los Angeles County Superior Court for the death of Katrina Brown, which occurred in December 1990.  At the time of the crimes, the girl's mother was at work.  Prosecutors say that the girl bit off part of Heard's tongue during the attack.  Heard then poured a bottle of alcohol down the girl's throat in hopes that she would regurgitate his tongue before he strangled her.

Contact Okabe & Haushalter to discuss your case with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer!

In Minnesota, it is reported that a man that was accused of sexually assaulting a 12 year old girl died in jail.  The girl reportedly used her iPod and Facebook to get help.

This week, 42 year old Raymond Ernest Cesmat was found dead in his jail cell.  Cesmat used a bed sheet to hang himself this past Tuesday.  He had been alone when the incident occurred.  Jail officials found his body during a routine check on inmates.

Prior to committing suicide, Cesmat was charged with two counts of sexual conduct in the first degree.  If he was convicted, he would have faced 30 years of jail time for each offense.

On July 10^th, the victim was alone in her house with Cesmat, her mother's former boyfriend.  Despite their break up, Cesmat continued to rent the home with the girl's mother.  The girl told police that Cesmat had taken her phone when she went to bed because he didn't want her texting all night. 

She said that Cesmat entered her room naked and tried to remove her pants.  She kicked him and screamed.  When he left her room, she used her iPod and Facebook to summon help by contacting Cesmat's daughter.

Charged with a sex crime in Los Angeles?  Contact Okabe & Haushalter to discuss your case with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

In Connecticut, a 17 year old male has been arrested in connection with two sexual assault cases.  Police say that on Thursday, they arrested and charged Terrence Easton with first degree sexual assault and first degree burglary. 

Easton was arrested after police investigated two sexual assaults in the Black Rock section of the city.  During both incidents, police found that the perpetrator broke into the homes of women were alone.  One of the victims told news sources that due to the incident, she is now afraid to even go outside.

She said through the mail slot of her door, "I was in bed and I was awakened by a black man in a black ski mask with a gun."  Police say that in both cases, more charges may be filed against Easton, whose bail has been set at $1 million. 

Officers are still waiting for more laboratory work to be completed at this time.

Were you charged with a serious sex crime?  If so, contact Okabe & Haushalter to arrange a time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer that can help you fight your criminal charges.

Authorities report that a man from Orange County is suspected of a rape in the state of Arizona may also be responsible for a sexual assault that took place across the country.  Accusations surfaced when investigators found hundreds of photos of unknown women and women's undergarments in the suspect's home.

The man, 44 year old Kevin Francois, is waiting extradition to Arizona after officers connected his DNA to a rape and burglary that occurred in 2003 in Tempe.  At this time, Francois remains detained by police.

Law enforcement officers arrested Francois in Newport Beach in January.  He was allegedly loitering near an apartment complex and resisted arrest.  Police were able to gather his DNA and he was released in May.  Authorities believe that Francois targeted younger women that lived near college campuses.  He would allegedly burglarize homes and in some cases, the women would be in the homes while Francois was committing offenses.

Have you been charged with a felony sex crime in Los Angeles?  If so, it is imperative that you retain representation from a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney now.  Contact Okabe & Haushalter to speak with a lawyer from our team.

This week, several news sources reported that Alex Da Silva of the hit show So You Think You Can Dance has pled not guilty to charges of rape.  Da Silva is a choreographer on SYTYCD and was accused of raping several women from 2002 to 2009.

Da Silva made a court appearance in Los Angeles and pled not guilty to eight rape charges, including:   four forcible rape charges, two assault with intent to commit rape charges and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object.

All of the charges were filed by four women who were students in his dance classes.  They all said that they were lured to Da Silva's home in North Hollywood and then raped.  In August, police arrested Da Silva and he was held in lieu of $6.2 million bail.  If he is convicted, he could face life in prison.

Were you charged with a serious sex crime?  If so, contact Okabe & Haushalter to arrange a time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

Following the alleged rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King, one California lawmaker is proposing legislation to stiffen the state's existing sex offender laws.

The legislation will be named after King, who disappeared February 25 while running in a park near San Diego. On March 2, her body was found near a shallow grave. It is believed that John Albert Gardner III, a known and convicted sex offender, raped and then killed her.

Now, with the support of King's parents, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is proposing to review the state's current sex offender laws and revamp them, this time making them much more stringent. Fletcher plans to introduce "Chelsea's Law" sometime in early April, which he says will focus on a "one-strike" provision and parole reform. He also wants to focus on including GPS tracking for registered sex offenders. He said the current laws only inform authorities where registered sex offenders live, but not where they go every day. Through GPS tracking, authorities can watch if a convicted sex offender goes near a location frequented by children, such as a school, park, or playground.

"I'm really concerned where these sex predators go because where you live is one thing, but where you go is another matter," Fletcher said. "We're looking at the possibility of using technology. Using a GPS device that's a passive device, but the minute you cross into one of these safe zones it immediately pings a 911 call and you've committed a crime by violating it."

Gardner, who pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of King, was previously convicted of molesting a 13-year-old girl and is currently suspected in the death of a 14-year-old girl from Escondido. He served five years in prison for the first offense.

If you have been charged with a sex offense, such as rape or child molestation, it's extremely important that you speak with an experienced defense attorney right away. Sex crimes carry heavy penalties, including years in state prison, thousands of dollars in fines, probation, and mandatory registration as sex offender. Furthermore, because of California's three strike laws, if you are facing your third violent felony offense for a sex crime, you will face a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison, even if your first two felony convictions were not sexual in nature.

At Okabe & Haushalter, we understand the serious toll a sex crimes conviction will have on your life, and feel we have the experience, skills, and resources to put up an aggressive fight against your charges. If you're interested in learning more about our defense services, please feel free to contact a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer at our office today by calling (310) 543-7708.

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a man suspected of raping a woman in a North Hollywood parking lot.

The attack took place March 11 around 12:45 a.m. near the 6900 block of Lankershim Boulevard. According to police, the suspect followed the victim for several blocks until he eventually grabbed her by the arm and led her to a nearby parking lot. He then raped the woman in the parking lot after telling her to undress. After the incident he fled the scene on foot.

A man suspected of molesting at least four young girls in the Westlake area was recently caught and arrested.

For more than two years police have been searching for Daniel Merino, 41. Merino was accused of approaching at least four girls, each around the age of 9 or 10, and then sexually assaulting them. According to police, all four girls were walking alone when Merino approached them. After starting up a conversation Merino would then try to lure the girls into a car or building or would sexually assault them as they were walking.

Police were able to track down Merino after video surveillance caught him trying to leave a building after attempting to molest a victim. The image was circulated and, using a high-tech license plate scanner, police were able to track Merino’s location.

Merino was arrested and charged with kidnapping for sexual assault. He is being held on $4 million bail. If he is convicted of the charges he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, as well as be ordered to register as a sex offender, probably for the rest of his life.