Man suspected of assaulting multiple women in East LA arrested

A 21-year-old man suspected of committing at least two sexual assaults and other crimes during a six-day span in the East Los Angeles area was behind bars Wednesday, and authorities said he may have committed other offenses.

Sergio Andrew Garcia, who had been the subject of a manhunt since early July, was arrested late Tuesday night in Tijuana, Mexico, and jailed in lieu of $2 million bail, according to the sheriff’s department and jail records.

Authorities said earlier Garcia was suspected in a series of attacks that began around 8:35 a.m. July 10, when he allegedly followed a woman on foot from the area of Olympic Boulevard and Albany Street in the Pico-Union district, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

According to the LAPD, Garcia sexually assaulted the woman and attempted to remove her clothing as she walked under the Harbor (110) Freeway on Olympic Boulevard, near LA Live Way.

At around 10:45 a.m. the next day, Garcia allegedly approached a woman from behind in the area of Chick Hearn Court and Georgia Street, near Crypto.com Arena, slapped her back and fled, the LAPD reported.

Garcia is suspected of committing three crimes on July 15.

At about 6 a.m. that day in East Los Angeles, he allegedly attacked a 67-year-old woman outside her home in the 1000 block of Fraser Avenue.

“Suspect Garcia suddenly approached the victim from behind, pulled her hair and threw her to the ground,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

According to sheriff’s detectives, Garcia “punched the victim in the face multiple times.”

“Garcia was startled when a nearby citizen began yelling at him,” the sheriff’s statement said. “The suspect proceeded to punch the victim in the face two additional times prior to fleeing the location on a black (fixed- gear) bicycle.”

The victim, Rosalina Martinez, told ABC7 she was cleaning her front yard at around 6 a.m. when she was attacked.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” she said in Spanish. “I screamed for help when he was punching me.”

Neighbors came out and called 911 and the suspect fled. Martinez has lived in the community for decades and said nothing like this has happened to her or anyone she knows before.

“Honestly I am afraid of going out alone on the street,” she said. “Very scared with fear that something will happen to me again.”

At around 9:20 a.m. July 15, Garcia allegedly approached a woman as she walked home from church in the 1300 block of South Alvarado Street, south of Pico Boulevard, in the Pico-Union district, police said. He struck her in the face multiple times, knocking her to the ground and causing her to lose consciousness, according to the LAPD, which said he stole the woman’s property and ran from the scene.

At around 9:35 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Burlington Avenue, south of Pico Boulevard, Garcia allegedly approached another woman from behind as she rummaged through the trunk of her car, according to the LAPD, which said he sexually assaulted her and ran from the scene.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters that following publicity about Garcia’s alleged crime spree, investigators learned about another assault of a 55-year-old woman in East Los Angeles possibly committed by the suspect early the morning of July 10. Luna said Garcia also allegedly carjacked a vehicle with a woman inside early in the morning of July 15, and later committed another assault.

Luna and LAPD Chief Michel Moore said they believe there are additional victims who have yet to come forward.

“This person did not start this spree on the 10th of July,” Moore said at a downtown news conference, adding that investigators “anticipate many more” possible victims coming forward.

Luna added, “We believe there may be additional victims out there and for one reason or another they have maybe chosen not to call the police yet. … We really, really would like to hear from you.”

He said anyone who believes they were victimized can call 800-222-8477.

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