Huntington Beach man faces rape charges

Greg Risling

Police arrested a 24-year-old Huntington Beach resident Wednesday in

connection with two rapes this year.

Calvin William Cunningham, who was already facing a series of indecent

exposure charges, was linked to rapes in Costa Mesa and Westminster

through DNA testing.

“Our investigative intuition is what led us to this guy,” said Costa Mesa

Police Lt. Ron Smith. “We are confident this is the guy who did these

crimes. He’s an extreme danger to society.”

Williams was charged with two counts of rape. He was arraigned at West

Justice Center in Westminster on Wednesday. He is being held at Orange

County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Williams is accused of sexually assaulting a 35-year-old woman at

Fairview Park in Costa Mesa in February. The victim, who was taking a

walk during the early morning, told police she was dragged into a thick

clump of grass where her assailant raped her.

Police also suspect that Williams was responsible for the July 3 rape of

a 16-year-old girl who was walking to her Westminster home. In that case,

the rapist attacked the girl during the nighttime near a school.

Authorities believed Williams may have been responsible for the rapes

when he was arrested in September for a string of indecent exposure

incidents. Williams is suspected of exposing himself at least five times

in Costa Mesa between July and August. He allegedly targeted Latino women

who were walking to the store or taking their children to school.

Williams submitted to a DNA test when he was arrested. Police have been

waiting for the past two months for the results that reportedly link him

to the two rapes.