Southern California man accused of drugging, raping date may have additional victims

Authorities in Ventura County have arrested a man suspected of drugging and raping an intoxicated victim last month, and investigators fear he may have done it before.

On Sept. 30, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office arrested 22-year-old Eddie Alfredo Cortez of Oxnard and booked him into the Todd Road Jail in Santa Paula.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 9, Cortez drove the victim, whom agreed to meet with him after they’d been talking casually on social media, to the 100 block of Island View Drive outside of Oxnard where they drank alcohol that he’d brought with him.

The victim, whose age and gender were not disclosed, soon began to experience “nausea, dizziness, and loss of motor function,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “Cortez then sexually assaulted the victim, who was incapacitated and unable to consent.”

Two days later, the victim contacted authorities and an investigation was launched. Cortez was later arrested after evidence was collected that “corroborated the victim’s statements and established probable cause that Cortez committed multiple sexual assault violations.”

Cortez remains in custody and is being held on $500,000 bail as he awaits felony charges for rape of an intoxicated person and kidnapping. He was expected to appear in court Monday.

As part of the investigation, search warrants were also served at multiple undisclosed locations, and additional evidence was recovered that led investigators to believe Cortez may have done this before and there may be additional victims.

Anyone with information related to the suspect, or any potential victims, should contact Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Detective Mitchell Peterson by email or by calling 805-384-4728.