A California man is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting nine women over a two-year span – including one woman who died from the drugs, prosecutors say.
Michael DiGiorgio, 50, was slammed with 18 felony charges on Friday, including murder, forcible rape, and rape of an unconscious person. He could face up to life in prison if convicted.
DiGiorgio committed the assaults between May 2019 and November 2021 at his homes in Redondo and Hermosa Beach, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and investigators believe more victims may come forward.
Prosecutors also allege that DiGiorgio caused great bodily injury to a victim by giving them drugs, according to the news release.
The woman who died as a result of the alleged drugging has not been named by the authorities. Further details about her death were not released.
“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,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a news release this week.
“Our office is committed to holding him accountable for the pain and trauma he has inflicted.”
DiGiorgio was arrested in Redondo Beach and is being held without bail, according to Los Angeles County court records.
He was scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on Friday, but the hearing was continued until November 6, according to court records obtained by CNN.
DiGiorgio has not yet entered a plea.
