Davis police are investigating cases of sexual assault that may be connected to the drugging of women at downtown bars.
The investigation expanded after the department learned of nine instances in which college women in their early 20s may have been drugged, Deputy Police Chief Paul Doroshov said.
The initial investigation was into three sexual assaults that allegedly took place within the last four months. As of Thursday, police had not determined whether the cases are related.
In the course of the investigation, police heard reports of drinks allegedly being spiked at restaurants and bars. Doroshov said no specific bar has been named because the alleged victims typically visited multiple bars.
These three assaults were mentioned in a post last week on the police department’s Facebook account:
• April: A third party told investigators that someone was sexually assaulted in the Westlake Plaza parking lot. The suspect was described as a white male adult, approximately 6 feet tall with a heavy build, according to the post.
• July 15: A woman reported that an unknown suspect grabbed her at Arroyo Park near Imperial Avenue, bound her hands and placed her in his vehicle.
“The suspect then drove to an unknown rural location and sexually assaulted the victim,” according to the Facebook post. “The suspect drove the victim back to the Arroyo Park area and released her.”
This suspect was described as a white male in his early 30s, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build and dark, short hair.
The reporting party received medical attention after the alleged abduction but did not speak with police until August 7.
• August 6: A woman says she was walking through Mace Ranch Park when “she walked by an unknown male subject and felt like he grabbed her shorts,” the Facebook post said. The suspect was described as a white male adult, approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a heavy build and wavy hair. He was wearing a plain T-shirt and light blue shorts at the time.
