BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Corona man suspect...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Corona man suspect in sexual assaults

Corona police on Wednesday arrested a man in connection with a

series of sexual assaults, including one in Costa Mesa and possibly

two in Newport Beach.

Corona resident Edward Michael Adams, 61, is being held on $20

million bail, charged with kidnapping with intent to commit rape,

rape, five counts of forced oral copulation and two counts of lewd

acts with a minor. He is suspected of luring women into his car,

claiming to be an executive or a modeling agency scout and then

assaulting them, according to Corona police.

A 24-year-old victim first contacted Corona police on June 21 to

report that she had been assaulted after a man, claiming to be the

chief executive officer of a rental car company, asked her to pick up

a business client. According to police, he then sexually assaulted

her in her car.

A second victim told police the man claimed to work for the John

Casablancas modeling agency and wanted her to model. He assaulted her

in the same manner, police said. The police later identified him from

a fingerprint in the first woman’s car.

Both women positively identified him in a police lineup, police

said.

Adams is also suspected of assaulting an employee at South Coast

Plaza, using similar pretenses, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty

Carver. He may have attempted the same thing with two employees at

Fashion Island, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said.

Adams is also suspected in cases in Irvine, Fullerton and Ontario.

All his victims were between 17 and 40 years old, according to Corona

police.

Police are encouraging other possible victims to come forward.

They may contact Costa Mesa Police Det. Clint Dieball at (714)

754-5356 or Newport Beach Police Det. John Hougan at (949) 644-3771.