Newport Beach Surgeon, Girlfriend Accused Of Drugging, Raping Women
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) – A Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and his girlfriend arrested on allegations they drugged and sexually assaulted at least two women could have dozens more victims, investigators believe.
Thirty-eight-year-old Grant William Robicheaux and his girlfriend, 31-year-old Cerissa Laura Riley of Brea, were charged Tuesday with counts including rape by use of drugs, oral copulation by anesthesia, assault with intent to commit sexual offense and possession of a controlled substance for sale.
Robicheaux, who was on Bravo's show "Online Dating Rituals of the American Male" in 2014, also faces two counts of possession of an assault weapon.
In a news conference Tuesday, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Robicheaux and Riley would meet their victims at local bars and restaurants, drug them and then take them home and sexually assault them.
Many of the victims may not have known that they were sexually assaulted because they were unconscious.
Often times, the assaults were videotaped, Rackauckas said. Investigators have about 1,000 of these videos on the suspects' phones and are trying to match the victims' faces with names.
Both suspects are free on bail. Robicheaux's medical license is currently under review by the Medical Board of California, CBS2 learned.
The couple are charged with two assaults that occurred in 2016. In the first incident, which took place on April 10, 2016, the suspects met the victim at a Newport Beach party and took her back to Robicheaux's apartment once she was intoxicated. They supplied "multiple drugs" to the victim and then raped her, prosecutors allege.
"The couple are in the bar, that Cerissa introduces herself and meets the lady," Rackauckas said. "And then (Cerissa) introduces her to Robicheaux and they invite her to a party. In our case, they invite her to a party on the boat. She's having some drinks. She feels more intoxicated by the drinks than would ordinarily be expected. Pretty soon she's very intoxicated and hardly knows what's going on. They take her to his apartment and perform all of these sex acts."
The woman went to Newport Beach police the following day. She underwent a forensic exam which confirmed that she had multiple drugs in her system, the DA's office reports.
On Oct. 2, 2016, the couple met a second woman at a bar who got so intoxicated she was no longer conscious. They also took her back to Robicheaux's apartment, where they raped her, Rackauckas said.
During the assault, the victim woke up and began screaming for help, which prompted a neighbor to call Newport Beach police. Officers responded and investigated the case.
On Jan. 9, 2018, authorities raided Robicheaux's home, where they found large amounts of illegal drugs, two unregistered assault rifles, four other guns and several large capacity magazines.
Newport Beach police didn't submit the cases to the OCDA until Sept. 6, however.
The couple are also believed to have frequented festivals such as Burning Man going back to 2015.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by the suspects or has information on the investigation is asked to call the DA's office at 714-347-8794.
