A 50-year-old California man has been charged with drugging and sexually assaulting nine women at his homes in the oceanfront cities of Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, and of murdering one of them who died after being drugged, prosecutors announced Friday.
The man, Michael DiGiorgio, faces 18 criminal counts in connection with the attacks, which the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said occurred from 2019 to 2021. In addition to the murder count, he faces three felony counts of rape by use of a drug, along with other sexual offenses by use of a drug and two felony counts of furnishing a controlled substance.
The name of the woman who died, in July 2020, was not released. Nor were the names of two of the women whom the district attorney’s office said DiGiorgio had caused great bodily injury to.
Prosecutors did not say how DiGiorgio had met the women or provide any details about them. Nor did they say what drug they believe had been used in the attacks.
It was not immediately clear if DiGiorgio had a lawyer.
A call Friday afternoon to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing DiGiorgio, was not immediately returned.
Prosecutors said that there could be more victims, and they encouraged anyone with pertinent information to contact authorities.
In a statement Friday, George Gascón, the district attorney, said: “I extend my deepest sympathy to the victims, whose lives have been irrevocably changed and the life lost by the alleged brutal acts of the offender. I encourage anyone with information related to these incidents or any other incidents regarding Mr. DiGiorgio to report it to the Redondo Beach Police Department.”
If convicted of all charges, DiGiorgio could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said. No bail was set after he was arrested Wednesday, according to court documents.
DiGiorgio was previously arrested in July 2020 on drug and sexual assault charges, Los Angeles County court records show, but that case was dismissed in December 2021 for lack of a speedy trial.
The district attorney’s office said in a statement that “due to concerns for public safety, further investigation was conducted after the first case was dismissed resulting in the filing of this new case.”
—International New York Times