Man sentenced to 32 years for Westside sexual assaults
A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 32 years to life in state prison for sexually attacking four women across the Westside in 2016, including two attacks near the beach in Santa Monica, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Thursday.
Pablo Pineda pleaded no contest to two counts of assault with the intent to commit a sex crime, one count of kidnapping to commit a sex crime and one count of second-degree robbery, prosecutors said.
Pineda’s first victim was walking along Santa Monica beach near the waterline about 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2016, when he walked by, grabbed her and slammed her to the ground, according to police. Pineda held the woman down as he assaulted her.
Pineda sexually attacked another woman on Feb. 5 of that year, also near the beach.
Prosecutors said Pineda beat a third victim with a brick on April 15 in Beverly Hills. He kidnapped and raped a fourth woman in the Sawtelle neighborhood on July 2, authorities said.
The string of attacks were publicized by police, including a sketch of the suspect. Pineda, who was homeless at the time, was arrested near MacArthur Park, just west of downtown L.A., on July 19, 2018.
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