A man is going to prison after being convicted of attacking four women and one teen, California officials said.
Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, 42, of Woodland Hills, was convicted on May 2 of assaulting women in their homes or while they hiked on trails between 2017 and 2020, according to a June 6 news release by the Ventura County district attorney.
In June 2017, Ruelas assaulted a 25-year-old woman after entering her Thousand Oaks apartment through an unlocked door, officials said. The victim woke up after hearing Ruelas open her bedroom door.
He tried to push her on the bed, but she fought back and was able to yell for her roommate, which caused Ruelas to flee, prosecutors said.
In July 2017, Ruelas assaulted a woman who was hiking in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, prosecutors said.
He stalked her through the area before taking her to the ground, straddling her and groping her, officials said.
The woman told Ruelas she had called her husband and the police, which caused him to flee, officials said.’
In October 2017, Ruelas entered another Thousand Oaks apartment through an unlocked door while the woman and her boyfriend were sleeping, prosecutors said. The victim woke up and found Ruelas standing over her.
He then sexually assaulted her while covering her mouth, officials said.
Ruelas’ hand moved and the victim was able to call out to her boyfriend, prosecutors said.
The woman’s boyfriend chased Ruelas down, but he was able to break free and left, officials said.
In April 2019, while on a hiking trail in Oak Park, Ruelas jumped from the bushes and tackled a woman to the ground, officials said.
She fought back and told Ruelas others knew where she was before he ran off, prosecutors said.
In March 2020, a 16-year-old girl was hiking near her home in Oak Park when Ruelas jumped from the bushes and took the girl to the ground, officials said.
The victim screamed and hit him with the ukulele she was holding, officials said.
She was able to escape and found a neighbor who called 911, prosecutors said.
Investigators said they eventually identified him as the serial attacker after connecting him to the car that fled from the park as well as to DNA evidence left at some of the scenes.
Ruelas was sentenced to 32 years to life plus an additional 21 years in prison after being convicted of charges including multiple counts of assault with intent to commit a forcible sex crime, officials said.
Thousand Oaks is about a 40-mile drive northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom .
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