According to prosecutors, Mr Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured women into their lives, drugged them and raped them. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Both Robicheaux and Riley have previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bail. It was never a question, Robicheaux said. 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.'. Please enter valid email address to continue. The net worth and salary of Grand is still hidden and will be published soon. Dist. Ospino also told attorneys that he wants to hold a preliminary hearing by the end of the year to determine whether the case, which has faced repeated delays, can proceed to trial. Later, at his home, she did more drugs with him, including ketamine, and when they attempted to have sex he could not do so, the judge wrote. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. The case against the two began two years ago, withRobicheaux, 40, and Riley, 33, painted as sexual predators who preyed on vulnerable women. [3] Robicheaux was charged with sixteen felonies, including sexually assaulting seven women and Riley was charged with sexually assaulting five women. 38-Years-Old, Grant Robicheaux is an orthopedic surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif. Prosecutors have reportedly interviewed at least 13 alleged victims. Spitzer, a longtime O.C. They have both pleaded not guilty and have denied that anything that happened was not consensual. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Grant Robicheaux - Married Wiki Bio 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. Over three months, prosecutors looked at thousands of photographs and videos that had been taken from the couple's computers, hundreds of hours of audio recordings, thousands of pages of documents. They argued that a detective misled a magistrate judge about the evidence and circumstances. The motion indicated that an independent review indicated that some allegations could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The memo and the internal divisions it highlights mark another twist in a case thats been embroiled in controversy for the last two years. His nationality is American. Paul Anderson of City News Service contributed to this report. On January 9, 2018, police searched Robicheaux's home and found firearms and large quantities of illegal drugs, including the date rape drug gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, MDMA, and cocaine. Spitzers review of the case came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into an investigator at the district attorneys office, Jennifer Kearns. Spitzer announced that his office would request that charges against Robicheaux and Riley be dismissed after a review of the case found a lack of evidence and a mishandling of the case by the previous DA. CNN First they were accused of drugging and raping women while recording their exploits on a cell phone. 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. Convoluted Case Against Reality Show Doctor, Girlfriend Continues I cannot tell you if it is tens or hundreds, it is certainly more than tens." Prosecutors have reportedly interviewed at least 13 alleged victims. Defense attorney Philip Cohen, who is representing Robicheaux, declined to comment on the memo. But they insisted none of the women theyd had a sexual relationship with were too inebriated to consent. 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.. The group later went to a bar, and prosecutors allege the alleged victims drinks were drugged. Certainly, any prosecutor should think long and hard before dismissing such a case where multiple women have independently come forward and subjected themselves to the hard process of (baring) their souls to the authorities.. Adam E. Chaikin, an attorney for the Assn. 9:18 AM EST, Tue February 11, 2020, Rape charges against reality TV surgeon to be dropped. They slept in these tents; they were camping; they would all sleep in those rooms with bunk bedshostels. Robicheaux 'Rape Doctor' Case Gets True Crime Podcast Treatment The criminal charges against the pair stem from two alleged incidents in 2016. 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. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. The charges had initially involved five victims. UPDATE: A California physician who has been accused of drugging and assaulting two women is a graduate of Lafayette High School. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley initially were charged with drugging and raping seven women. They agreed to meet in person at a Newport Beach restaurant, with Riley joining them and posing as a friend. But former district attorney Rackauckas denied Spitzers claim that he used the case for political gain. However, in February of 2020, new 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. 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. The request, however, was denied by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. Officials also determined that Kearns should receive additional training on report writing. [1], In a September 2018 press conference, the Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas, stated that detectives had found a video of the sex acts with one of the victim. Yearbooks from the school indicate Grant Robicheaux was a 1999 grad . She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. CNNs Dakin Andone contributed to this report. The following month, Spitzer's office was removed from the case and replaced by the California AG. Judge scales back rape case against Newport Beach doctor and girlfriend He received media attention in 2018 after he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. Usually Hooks performances were local, but in the early 2010s Riley and her ex-husband made several missionary trips abroad to Budapest, Hungary. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. I texted her the other day, Woodruff said. Hannah Fry is a Metro reporter covering Orange County for the Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The California surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and - CNN [1] In 2013, Robicheaux was named "Orange County's Most Eligible Bachelor" by Orange Coast Magazine. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. [1] The case gained international attention because Rackauckas implied that there were up to one thousand victims. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? [1], In 2018, Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, were charged with drugging and raping multiple women in Newport Beach, California. A judge in Orange County, California, has approved a request to drop almost all counts against a surgeon and his girlfriend who have been accused of drugging and raping multiple women. They said the portrait authorities painted of Riley as a predator clashed with their memory of the choreographeran Evangelical Christian who went abroad to spread the word of God, performing street-corner skits to attract potential converts. Surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping up to a dozen Discovery Company. Prosecutors say a California dance instructor was one half of a serial date-rape team who would make targets feel comfortable and safe and then help her doctor boyfriend drug and sexually assault them. Robicheaux, who was featured in an episode of Bravos Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in 2014, had his medical license suspended and lost his job. 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. I feel like I can breathe again.. Over three months, prosecutors looked at thousands of photographs and videos that had been taken from the couples computers, hundreds of hours of audio recordings, thousands of pages of documents and tens of thousands of text messages between Robicheaux and Riley spanning four years. Fry most recently covered breaking news for The Times and was part of the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. The couple have pleaded not guilty and denied any nonconsensual sex. She told police someone was filming the incident. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, had their lives " destroyed. In May, prosecutors made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case, . I feel like I finally woke up from a bad nightmare, Riley told ABCs Good Morning America in an interview that aired Friday. OC Judge Reduces Charges Against Newport Beach Surgeon, Girlfriend Prosecutors expect to move forward in doctor drug-rape case 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 . The woman, described as in her 20s, woke up in the couples home during the sexual assault. [1] Following the charges, the California Medical Board opened an investigation into Robicheaux's conduct. The idea was to have something odd happening, so people who were down and out, like homeless people, would stop and they would have a chance to evangelize.. Robicheaux and Riley celebrated what seemed to be their imminent freedom on national TV last week. 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. I never made a single decision or statement about the case for any political motive, Rackauckas said in the statement to CNN last week. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Then the case took a bizarre turn last week when a new prosecutor said he would drop charges against the California couple citing insufficient evidence and claiming the previous DA used the case for political gain. 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. [4][5] Robicheaux was also accused of possessing two illegal, unregistered assault rifles, four other firearms, and several large-capacity magazines. The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. 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. The woman said she told the couple she was having her period, in an effort to prevent them from initiating sex, but Robicheaux had sex with her after her clothes were taken off and Riley filmed part of it, Fish wrote. 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! However, after considering Spitzer's request, in June of 2020 OC Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones announced that he would not dismiss the charges. Judge dismisses some charges in rape case against California doctor and Prosecutors ready to focus rape case against Orange County doctor An attorney representing the couple declined to comment Friday. Woman describes Tinder terror date with charged California surgeon An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday granted a. The facts have to be viewed in their totality. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? [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. An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that investigators met their burden for probable cause when they obtained a 2018 search warrant in their investigation of a Newport Beach hand surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women. 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. Clint McCall to Chief Paul M. Walters, who leads the investigative bureau at the district attorneys office. Reduced Charges For Reality Doctor, Girlfriend: Newport Rape Case She sings beautifully, Woodruff said. The poverty level is really bad out there. Were trying to be cooperative, but Ive got to tell you nobody from the AGs office has talked to my clients, he said during the hearing. 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.. The Times reviewed a redacted copy of the memo, which was filed in court Thursday. Ospino indicated he intends to rule next week on the prosecutors request to pare down the charges. Atty. 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). Grant Robicheaux is an American surgeon who appeared on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. State prosecutors told an Orange County Superior Court judge on Friday that they plan to move forward with a case against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend, centering it on sexual assault allegations lodged by two women. 2. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, pictured in October 2018, were charged with drugging and raping multiple women. Judge drops nearly all charges against reality TV star surgeon who The attorney general, not this office, determines who state prosecutors talk to and when.. Things got weird fast, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. She used charm and good looks to disarm women, get them intoxicated, and then rape them at Robicheaux's apartment. If convicted on all counts, Riley faces up to 30 years in state prison; Robicheaux could . / KCAL News. 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. State prosecutor says decision 'imminent' on high-profile Newport Beach He cited the politics interjected into the case in a tense election between Spitzer and his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas. The new charges will involve downsizing the cases to at least two alleged victims. The defendants actions of facilitating the victims excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs to ultimately prevent her from possessing the ability to resist sexual intercourse was the underlying motivation for their behavior, state prosecutors wrote in their motion. After the request was granted, only the charges stemming from two alleged victims are still intact. Since charges were filed in September 2018, the couples lives have been in shambles, their attorney Thomas M. Ferlauto said. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [4] As of August 2021, Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting two women and Riley was charged with three alleged victims.[2][4][6]. She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. 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! More women say surgeon drugged and raped them. 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. 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 resulting search be deemed inadmissible. Previously, he also appeared on an episode of the short-lived Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in April 2014. A representative for the attorney generals office could not immediately be reached for further comment. 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. From . [1], In February 2020, Todd Spitzer won the election for District Attorney, taking over Rackauckas's position. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Before that, Orange Coast Magazine named him a 2013 bachelor of the year. The attorneys also focused on what they characterized as subsequent shifting opinions on probable cause by Detective Marie Gamble that came to light in a related civil suit that a defense attorney has used to gather more evidence to defend his clients in the criminal case. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Your email address will not be published. Rackauckas claimed investigators had about 1,000 of these videos on the suspects' phones. 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. Both had denied any wrong doing. [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. Former reality TV show doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley speak out about the charges that were dropped after an investigation by the n. AboutPressCopyrightContact. A Warner Bros. Robicheaux received his medical degree from Louisiana State University and completed his residency at University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Fish rejected arguments from defense attorneys that sexual activity between the defendants and three women cited in the search warrant was consensual and that no crime was committed. Former Bravo Reality TV Star Surgeon Accused Of Drugging - Yahoo Prosecutors alleged that Robicheaux, often with the help of his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured the women in, then drugged . Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 34, will now face sexual assault charges involving two of the alleged victims. She also said she saw Riley drink something from a contact case and thought it odd.. 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. 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. The agency launched a probe into Kearns actions and, as part of that inquiry, investigators concluded the review Spitzer ordered had been lacking. That case was bolstered by new allegations that drugs were used in that attack. A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe.. [5][3] Later in 2020, the Attorney General of California took over prosecuting the case. [1] Rackauckas also stated that there were additional videos, saying, "There are a substantial number of videos. Another woman in July 2017 told police she had been raped. [1] The District Attorney filed charges on September 11, 2018, and detectives arrested Robicheaux and Riley on September 12, 2018. [2] In April 2016, a woman stated that she had met Robicheaux and Riley in a local restaurant in April 2016 and that they invited her to a party. The agency launched a probe into Kearns actions and, as part of that inquiry, investigators concluded the review Spitzer ordered had been lacking. They also contended that no crime was committed to justify the warrant. [1], Robicheaux appeared in 2014 on the Bravo show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, which followed his search for a girlfriend. 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. Robicheaux is currently charged with sexually assaulting five women and Riley is charged with three alleged victims. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We believe there may be many unidentified victims out there, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said this week. Whoops! [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. Grant Robicheaux is an American surgeon who appeared on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. 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. Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, stood accused of multiple rapes in Newport Beach, Calif. By dismissing rape charges against them, prosecutors will concentrate on a 2017 sexual assault charge against the two. 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. Early life and education Before her arrest, Riley worked three different jobssales agent by day, dance instructor by night, and substitute teacher when she could pick up a shift. The defense also argued the search warrant was stale, meaning it was sought too long after detectives responded to the claims of the women. 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. 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. [1] Robicheaux and Riley were each released on a $100,000 bail. Todd Spitzer announces in February that he plans to drop all charges against Newport Beach doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. [5] Spitzer believed that Rackauckas had used the case to gain positive media attention before the election for district attorney and stated he would move to have all charges filed by Rackauckas against Robicheaux and Riley dropped. The two saw each other just six months ago, when the young woman was acting in a play. The pair have both pleaded not guilty to the amended charges. Even though the prosecution and defense actually agree in this case, the judge isnt so certain. Please reload the page and try again. First they were accused of drugging and raping women while recording their exploits on a cell phone. The two were high school sweethearts and got married not long after graduation. Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register Via AP, Days Of Our Lives Star Victoria Grace Withdraws From Daytime Emmys Nominations After Huge Misunderstanding Regarding The Rules, Mike Shannon Dies: Emmy-Winning Broadcaster For St. Louis Cardinals Was 83, Legal Battle Over Guitarist Johnny Winters Music Heats Up, Stanley Tucci Talks About His Oral Cancer Battle: I Had A Feeding Tube For Six Months, Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, The Issues, The Stakes, Movies & TV Shows Affected, How Long It Might Last, Netflix Lands Adam McKays New Comedy Average Height, Average Build, Plumbs Another Domestic Win At $38M; Karting Past $1 Billion Global, Serious Moments For Media Give Way To Satire & Mirth; Biden & Wood Remarks. Grant Robicheaux Rape Case Sees Almost All Victims Dropped - BuzzFeed News Robicheaux and Riley told Good Morning America they participated in a swingers lifestyle. DA Todd Spitzer held a shocking news conference in which he said that he had assigned new prosecutors to the case after he took office, and their review found no evidence of unconscious women being assaulted. The woman said the drugs felt different than any of the drugs she commonly used, according to the judge. 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. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Robicheauxs girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, 34, was originally charged with five assaults. In a joint statement, the couples lawyers denied the charges. March 31, 2021 In her new Audiochuck podcast, O.C. [1] She says that Robicheaux and Riley then brought her to Robicheauxs apartment and began sexually assaulting her.