She used charm and good looks to disarm women, get them intoxicated, and then rape them at Robicheauxs apartment. A prosecutor told an Orange County Superior Court judge. Grant is not married yet but he is in a relationship with his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 39, and Cerissa Riley, 32, of Newport Beach, appeared Friday in a taped interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I feel like I finally woke up from a bad nightmare . Ultimately, they determined there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. CBS Los Angeles reported that Grant Robicheaux, who was once the subject of a Bravo reality show for his dating escapades, was originally accused by seven women of rape and sexual assault. View more / View fewer Facts of Grant Robicheaux. If the judge decides to grant the prosecutors wishes, the state will move its focus to an incident that happened in April 2017. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, 34, were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? [1] On September 6, 2018, the Newport Beach Police turned the investigation over to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. However, after considering Spitzer's request, in June of 2020 OC Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones announced that he would not dismiss the charges. I feel like I can breathe again.. California Woman who accused Newport Beach doctor of rape asks judge not to dismiss charges Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, who are charged with drugging and sexually. UPDATE: A California physician who has been accused of drugging and assaulting two women is a graduate of Lafayette High School. The unusual move came after a prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. appreciated. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Surgeon who appeared on reality TV dating show is accused of sexual assault and preying on drugged women, conduct a review of all the evidence collected in the case. The wedding was gorgeous, Woodruffs daughter, who did not want her name used, told the Daily Beast. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), OC Superior Court - Photo courtesy of the OC Courts' website. Originally Mr Robicheaux faced 16 felony charges from the victims, and Ms Riley faced five charges. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself inside until the morning. The unusual move came after a prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. She said the investigators reached their conclusions about the case review while looking into alleged misconduct by a district attorneys office employee who was involved in the Robicheaux case and based their findings on a small part of the case review. Weeks later, Bromberg recused himself from the case following allegations that he had mistreated defense attorneys and prosecutors during a heated court hearing. Dist. Grant was born in California in the year 1976. Its hard for them to make these reports about things that were so very humiliating in the first place then have to relive the pain, he said. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved. The new charge would involve two women instead of the previous five. / KCAL News. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, had their lives destroyed by the allegations, their lawyer said. Julie Garland and Mary Katherine Strickland of the Attorney Generals Office told Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Ospino Friday that they intend to file an amended complaint. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. If they were convicted of the charges, Dr. Robicheaux faces up to 40 years in prison. She grew up in Orange County and got her start as an intern at the Orange County Register. Robicheaux is currently charged with sexually assaulting five women and Riley is charged with three alleged victims. The judge also noted that a victim can be so intoxicated to the point where she cannot resist, where she cannot consent or where she cannot withdraw prior consent. Both Riley and Robicheaux were freed on $100,000 bail, and return to court on Oct. 25 for an arraignment. The attorney general, not this office, determines who state prosecutors talk to and when.. (Image credit: Audiochuck) By The Editors. They have been aware of these accusations for a number of months, and each of them will formally deny the truth of these allegations at their first opportunity in court.. A representative for the attorney generals office could not immediately be reached for further comment. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? I feel like I finally woke up from a bad nightmare, Riley told ABCs Good Morning America in an interview that aired Friday. At one point the California Attorney General's Office took over the case from the Orange County District Attorney's Office after it determined that District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas, a political rival and his predecessor, used the case to further their own political ambitions. In May, prosecutors made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case, . Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley will return to court to see how charges will be amended in their drug and rape case. From . EARLIER: State prosecutors moved on Friday to dismiss several rape charges against Dr. Grant Robicheaux, who starred on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. We believe there may be many unidentified victims out there, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said this week. She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. Even if that happens, it wont change how Woodruff feels about her. Rackauckas said the victims in video appeared highly intoxicated, "beyond the ability to consent or resist," and that the women were barely responsive to sexual advances by Robicheaux and Riley. O.C. Firefighters Discover Man's Body While Battling Apartment Fire in South L.A. Police Investigate No-Hit Shooting in Long Beach, Coroner Identifies Woman Found Dead Near Railroad Track in Carson, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. UPDATE: An Orange County judge has approved a request by prosecutors to reduce charges against a Newport Beach hand surgeon and his girlfriend, who have been accused of drugging and raping multiple women. Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office, said the criticisms investigators voiced in the memo were not a denunciation of the entire review of the Robicheaux case. Please enter valid email address to continue. A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe.. But they insisted none of the women theyd had a sexual relationship with were too inebriated to consent. In 2019, shortly after Todd Spitzer took over as the countys top prosecutor, he assigned two deputy district attorneys to conduct a review of all the evidence collected in the case. The case against the two began two years ago, withRobicheaux, 40, and Riley, 33, painted as sexual predators who preyed on vulnerable women. Robicheaux and Riley speak out after a prosecutor said he would drop charges. The net worth of Grant is still to get unfold yet. This is not Cerissa, Sheryl Woodruff, Rileys former mother-in-law said. Thats unlikely to improve anyones mental health, Opinion: Why my Taiwanese American identity has become more complicated, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Northern California town on edge after second fatal stabbing in a week. Last February, after Mr Spitzer ousted Mr Rackauckas, he announced his intention to drop the charges against the couple and compelled prosecutors to apologise to the couple and question the claims of the victims. Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. The woman said she had trouble recalling everything that happened, but she was able to dissuade Robicheaux from engaging in a particular sex act, but that she did not resist overall because she was afraid of angering the pair, Fish wrote. Six months later, police got a similar complaint after a woman who met the couple woke up in their apartment, and started to scream, prompting a neighbor who heard her cries to call 911, according to prosecutors. The review of the case by the D.A.s office came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into a district attorney investigator, Jennifer Kearns. The request, however, was denied last year by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. Prosecutors from the attorney generals office announced in May that they wanted to focus the case on just one woman. In court filings, prosecutors have alleged that Kearns omitted pertinent information from reports she wrote about the case and claimed she led a whisper campaign to exaggerate evidence in favor of prosecution. "This case is a complete travesty," the woman told Ospino. Spitzers review of the case came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into an investigator at the district attorneys office, Jennifer Kearns. The new series follows the case of a Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and his girlfriend, who are accused of drugging and assaulting multiple women. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. At one time, Robicheaux was charged with seven victims and Riley with five. The couple have pleaded not guilty and have denied any nonconsensual sex. Rackauckas said he believed the womens complaints based on the evidence he had. American surgeon accused of sexual assault, Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, "Surgeon who appeared on reality TV dating show is accused of sexual assault and preying on drugged women", "Former Bravo Reality TV Star Surgeon Accused Of Drugging, Raping Women Gets Charges Reduced Update", "Six Women Said A Wealthy California Surgeon Raped Them. The couple got involved in the congregation of Calvary Chapel Anaheim, a nondenominational church in Orange County, and often did outreach and missionary work in the local community. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! CBS Los Angeles reported that Grant Robicheaux, who was once the subject of a Bravo reality show for his dating escapades, was originally accused by seven women of rape and sexual assault. 9:18 AM EST, Tue February 11, 2020, Rape charges against reality TV surgeon to be dropped. The daughter, who had known Riley since they were in elementary school, described her as a top student always involved in extracurricular activities. At the same time, prosecutors asked to dismiss three firearms enhancements against Robicheaux and Riley and to reduce four felony charges of drug possession for sale to misdemeanors. During a pretrial hearing Thursday, Deputy Atty. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Grant Robicheaux, 40, and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, 34, were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. That woman said she met the defendants at a bar, and at some point she felt as if she blacked out at the bar and awoke later on the floor of the residence associated with the defendants and remembers a man hitting her in the face and someone else kicking her in the head, Fish wrote. Updated Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, listen during a hearing in Orange County Superior Court on . No matter what.. Robicheaux and Riley told Good Morning America they participated in a swingers lifestyle. First they were accused of drugging and raping women while recording their exploits on a cell phone. Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his model girlfriend appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday after a judge recused himself from case as victims spoke about how they. In a joint statement, the couples lawyers denied the charges. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Spitzer, a longtime O.C. After Riley and Dr. Grant Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon who starred briefly on The Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, were charged with attacking two women, others came forward with similar allegations. This is not the girl I know and have known since she and my son went to high school together., Woodruff first met Riley in the late 2000s, when she and her son, Chad, were in school together at Villa Park High School in Orange County. ( Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. [4], In July 2021, a judge in the Orange County Superior Court dismissed charges related to two of the seven women who stated they no longer wanted to participate in the case and had been "dragged through the mud" by the Orange County District Attorney's office. She was a beautiful girl., Prosecutors said she and Robicheauxan orthopedic surgeon once named Orange Countys Most Eligible Bachelor, who used the alias InGoodHands on a Bravo series about online datingused their good looks to lure women back to their home.'. A judge in Orange County heard arguments from attorneys for the couple and for the alleged victims and prosecutors last week, after which one alleged victim said they were "exhausted" by the thought the case could take years to prosecute. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. [3] Later, Rackauckas said that he had been misunderstood, that he did not mean to suggest there were up to one thousand victims, and that they were instead reviewing up to one thousand videos of possible victims. Atty. She said that when she went to their home, she was so drunk she needed help to get inside and that she was given an unknown powder and pill by Robicheaux, which relaxed her and made her drowsy, Fish wrote. It took us a year of planning.. Hannah Fry is a Metro reporter covering Orange County for the Los Angeles Times. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Surgeon was at one time the subject of Bravo reality TV show focused on his dating escapades, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. When Mr Rackauckas was overseeing the case, he incorrectly predicted that there could be as many as 1,000 victims. The second defendant, being a female, is key, Rackaukas said. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? The details about of Grant is not published in the sites and will be updated soon on his body features. Prosecutors asked to dismiss 10 sex crime charges involving six of Robicheauxs seven accusers. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. LAGUNA BEACH, CA - OCTOBER 17: Dr. Grant Robicheaux, and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley listen during their arraignment at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, CA on Wednesday, October 17, 2018. The memo and the internal divisions it highlights mark another twist in a case thats been embroiled in controversy for the last two years. Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, arrive at Orange County Superior Court Harbor Justice Center . In the early 2010s, Riley, who had a creative streak, joined Hook, a missionary performance group that put on short, religious skits. Ultimately, they determined there was insufficient evidence. Prosecutors have reportedly interviewed at least 13 alleged victims. In court filings prosecutors have alleged Kearns omitted pertinent information from reports she wrote about the case and claimed she led a whisper campaign to exaggerate evidence in favor of prosecution. It is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman who is incapacitated to give consent., Fish also said the search warrant was not stale because, DNA doesnt change, cell phone accounts from a particular time frame do not change, etc., the focus is on the narcotics., Defense attorneys contended the time frame from July 2017 through January 2018 negate the probability that the drugs will be there. But the judge added, it was not unreasonable nor illogical for the magistrate in this case to find probable cause that those items will be in existence at the locations referenced.. Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones refused District Attorney Todd Spitzer's request to dismiss the case outright. I cannot tell you if it is tens or hundreds, it is certainly more than tens." Still cant believe this happened to us, Robicheaux said. He received media attention in 2018 after he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. Over the past three years of the case, the lawsuit has been subject to political infighting between the former and current district attorney. Murphy and others also criticized the decision by district attorney officials to bar Kearns from speaking to anyone from the attorney generals office about the case without a supervisor present. In that incident, Robicheaux allegedly began chatting with the woman on a dating app. The judge said he would rule by April 3, CNN affiliate KTLA reported. She was a member of the Associated Students Board at their high schoolan important job, the daughter said, because she was entrusted with overseeing a part of the schools budget. CNN First they were accused of drugging and raping women while recording their exploits on a cell phone. Todd Spitzer sought to dismiss rape charges against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend last year based on a review of evidence in the case that a team of senior investigators in his office later found to be flawed, according to an internal memo. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. We want to hear from you! Its completely unfair to the victims in this case.. Discovery Company. The Times reviewed a redacted copy of the memo, which was filed in court Thursday. Riverside County Firefighters Stop Forward Progress of Brush Fire in Thermal, Walk to End Genocide Held Sunday In Fairfax District, Asian Couple in Bel Air Terrorized in Home Invasion Robbery, Police Arrest 24 During DUI Checkpoint in Riverside, Coroner IDs Man Who Jumped or Fell From Freeway Overpass. last . Adam E. Chaikin, an attorney for the Assn. In January, police obtained a search warrant for the couples residence and found large quantities of illegal narcotics, including date-rape drugs, ecstasy, and cocaine, along with unregistered firearms, high quantity magazines, and some assault weapons, prosecutors said. For three years, the case against the once-Bravo Reality television star, hand surgeon Grant Robicheaux, and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley have wreaked havoc on the Orange County court system. Both had denied any wrong doing. Those shortcomings led prosecutors for Spitzer to make arguments in court for why the charges against the couple should be tossed out that contained numerous unsupported allegations, misstatements, untruths, and factually wrong conclusions, McCall wrote in the memo. Spitzer has ensured the attorney general has unrestricted access to all district attorney personnel to aid in its review of the case and to answer any questions or provide clarification, she said. City News Service , News Partner Posted Fri, Aug 20, 2021 . They also contended that no crime was committed to justify the warrant. Robicheaux and Riley, a former schoolteacher, were initially charged in 2018 by Spitzers predecessor, Tony Rackauckas. Ospino indicated he intends to rule next week on the prosecutors request to pare down the charges. We are conducting a very thorough and independent review of the case, Martinez said. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 34, will now face sexual assault charges involving two of the alleged victims. At the time, prosecutors painted the couple as sexual predators who used their good looks to prey on vulnerable women, drug them and take them back to their posh Newport Beach home to assault them. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case against the couple was fueled by his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas, trying to gain support for his re-election campaign. [5] In June 2020, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones refused to drop the charges against Robicheaux and Riley and said both Rackauckas and Spitzer had used the case against each other while campaigning. [1] She says that Robicheaux and Riley then brought her to Robicheauxs apartment and began sexually assaulting her. According to the state attorney general's office, at least three victims said they no longer wanted to partake in the case because they were "dragged through the mud" but the Orange County district attorney's office. The judge also ordered discovery to be turned over to the alleged victims attorneys so that we could evaluate the facts of the case, which, quite frankly, we havent had access to at this stage of the game, Fell said. Attorneys for Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley argued that the warrant to search the residence at 202 44th St. for drugs and DNA should be quashed and anything found during the. The agency launched a probe into Kearns actions and, as part of that inquiry, investigators concluded the review Spitzer ordered had been lacking. Since charges were filed in September 2018, the couples lives have been in shambles, their attorney Thomas M. Ferlauto said. Spitzer accused his predecessor, Rackauckas, of possible prosecutorial misconduct: sensationalizing the case and driving it forward as a publicity stunt to further his own re-election efforts. A previous motion indicated that an independent review indicated that some allegations could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. [4] As of August 2021, Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting two women and Riley was charged with three alleged victims.[2][4][6]. The following month, Spitzer's office was removed from the case and replaced by the California AG. Swingers, journalist Justine Harman reexamines the case of Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley. However, there are a total of 13 accusers, some of whom could be used by prosecutors as further evidence of a pattern of behavior. [4][5] Robicheaux was also accused of possessing two illegal, unregistered assault rifles, four other firearms, and several large-capacity magazines. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. According to prosecutors, Mr Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured women into their lives, drugged them and raped them. They were accused of drugging women they would meet at various Newport Beach venues and then taking them to their Newport Beach home to sexually assault them. She sings beautifully, Woodruff said. New DA says he wants to drop charges against Robicheaux and Riley. Robicheauxs girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, 34, was originally charged with five assaults. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. At the time, then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said that Robicheaux and Riley would meet their victims at local bars and restaurants, drug them and then take them home and sexually assault them. Authorities said the couple may have attempted to assault women at several festivals and camp sites along the west coast, including the Burning Man Festival, Dirtybird Campout Festival, Splash House Festival, and various tourist landmarks around Page, Arizona. Fish noted that according to the police reports, illicit drugs were alleged to be at the residence in April of 2016 and again in July of 2017 and that Robicheaux himself said the home was used as a place to `party and sleep it off., One woman told police she met Robicheaux and Riley while drinking at a bar in Newport Beach and that despite being an experienced drinker, she became intoxicated beyond the level she expected given what she drank, according to the ruling. Usually Hooks performances were local, but in the early 2010s Riley and her ex-husband made several missionary trips abroad to Budapest, Hungary. [1] The woman immediately contacted the police the next morning to report that she had been assaulted and a subsequent test of her blood showed multiple controlled substances in her body. The charges had initially involved five victims. And, they would go for months at a time. In 2014, Rileys husband left her, leaving her broken, her ex-sister-in-law said, adding, She had to learn how to live without someone shes known for years.. [1] The woman stated that she consumed large amounts of alcohol before they invited her to Robicheaux's residence for an afterparty, where they drugged, raped, and orally copulated her. The Newport Beach surgeon who once appeared on a cable-network reality show pleaded not guilty, along with his girlfriend, to charges of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women in attacks that were allegedly recorded on cell phone video.Photo by Paul Bersebach/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images). Spitzer accused his predecessor of overreaching on the case to bolster his reelection campaign and moved to have the charges dropped. [1] In 2013, Robicheaux was named "Orange County's Most Eligible Bachelor" by Orange Coast Magazine. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After the charges were dropped, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg recused himself from the case. Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting seven women, with Riley charged with five assaults. At one time, Robicheaux was charged with harming seven victims and Riley with five. He earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University in 2007 and did his residency at UC Irvine Medical Center. [1] The police later stated that they had suspicions but we did not have positive identity at the time of the reports. She said a day before she had consensual sex with both defendants and that she went to a concert the next day with the doctor, and they both did cocaine, Fish wrote. All Rights Reserved. There is not a single piece of evidence or video or photo that shows an unconscious or incapacitated woman being sexually assaulted, said Spitzer, the new prosecutor. Dr Grant Robicheaux, 38, was charged alongside his girlfriend Cerissa Laura Riley for allegedly drugging and raping two intoxicated women on Wednesday Orange County officials have said there. Then, people would stop them on the street and ask, What are you doing? and they would get to talk to them about the word of God, Woodruff told the Daily Beast. A woman, or any participant, can limit or withdraw his/her consent at any time, Fish wrote. The facts have to be viewed in their totality. Both Robicheaux and Riley have previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bail. [3] Robicheaux was charged with sixteen felonies, including sexually assaulting seven women and Riley was charged with sexually assaulting five women.
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