We've received your submission. The judge said he would rule by April 3, CNN affiliate KTLA reported. Case Summary. Instead, after grilling prosecutors for hours and listening to wrenching statements from two of the accusers Friday morning, Jones said he wanted more information about the facts before deciding what to do. On the side, Cerissa is a Dance Teacher and also works for the Fullerton School District as a substitute teacher, the website states. Crime and Public Safety | I certainly expected it to get a lot of publicity, yes, Rackauckas said. The two attended the same high school in Orange County, where Cerissa was a cheerleader and involved in drama. Robicheaux is also charged with intent to sell and possession of assault weapons. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Law enforcement investigating this case believe there may be additional victims. He shared in the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for the papers Bell coverage and has twice been a Pulitzer finalist for feature writing, in 2007 and 2014. The arrest has jolted Orange County, with residents shocked that an attractive, successful couple could commit such ugly crimes. Mixing up celebrities and tech with a twist, February 7, 2020 by L.A Girl Leave a Comment. We are shocked to learn of the arrest of Cerissa Riley, one of our employees. Photos / AP. He made no mention of having a girlfriend. Robicheaux and Riley told Good Morning America they participated in a swingers lifestyle. Cerissa Riley is the stunning girlfriend of TV surgeon Dr. Grant Robicheaux -known from a Bravos reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. I told him that I was trying to find a partner for life and that jumping into bed would not get me there, said Hayden, who works as a math and physics tutor. lawmakers champion bills raising penalties for fentanyl dealers and accountability from online platforms, Mallard, shot in neck and cheek, gets second chance at life, Boats set sail from Balboa Pier to Ensenada for 75th annual race. It must be noted that none of the allegations in this matter relate to or concern Dr. Robicheauxs medical practice or patients in any way. If only he wasnt a pompous ahole, I would have loved the guy, Hayden said. I told him I had been raped [while] in the military, and that his actions reminded me of that. So thats the general way that weve seen it., Rackauckas said at the press conference, women who have encountered these two might have felt a false sense of security due to the fact that both defendants are clean cut and good looking. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case against the couple was fueled by his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas, trying to gain support for his re-election campaign. Rackauckas said he still believes that the criminal case against Robicheaux and Riley is a strong one. I feel like I can breathe again.. She wasnt the first woman; allegedlyCerissa and Grant did the exact same thing to another woman in October that same year. We went into the Jacuzzi, and he tried tearing off my bathing-suit top. He also said they dont know whether all the incidents happened the same way. Cohen turned to the question of publicity surrounding the case amid Rackauckas reelection bid. She has reportedly also been employed as a dance instructor and in sales. Sources who knew Cerissa Riley as a nice churchgoing girl are especially surprised. After the hearing, Spitzer said he would be more than pleased to share the evidence with the judge, whose decision to inform himself about the facts he called completely reasonable.. on Vimeo Your Invited to Chad and Cerissa's Wedding! According to her former husband, shes a devout Christian. Its a joint venture, for sure, Rackauckas said. Both are scheduled to be arraigned October 24. San Jose: Pedestrian killed in early morning collision, Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city, Fremont: Hit-and-run collision suspect taken into custody, Manhunt continues for Texas shooting suspect, reward offered, a state prosecutor described them as having been dragged through the mud and grossly mistreated., made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case. Last year, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones refused to move forward with what he described as a backdoor dismissal of the case, writing that the women deserved their day in court. He additionally faces sentencing enhancements for being personally armed with (a) firearm during health and safety code violation., Riley was charged with rape by use of drugs, oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance, assault with intent to commit sexual offense and four counts of possession of a controlled substance for sale, with a sentencing enhancement for being knowingly vicariously armed with firearm., Rackauckas said there were a number of drugs found in Robicheauxs apartment, including ecstasy, date rape drug and cocaine, nothing that would be a pure anesthetic. Rackauckas said none of the drugs appeared to have come from a hospital or medical setting, but were more of the illegal type, not hospital anaesthetic.. I didnt create this situation, but its my responsibility to fix it, Spitzer said. 33-year-old Cerissa Laura Riley born in 1987 as Cerissa Gillian from Orange County, California. Powered by. Robicheaux and Riley were each released on a $100,000 bail. They can be either gender., He continued, This morning, my office is announcing the filing of charges and arrest of well-known orthopedic surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his female companion Cerissa Riley. According to this lady, she met the pair at a restaurant in Newport before they headed to a boat party; she said they later took her to their apartment where they assaulted her. More than one victim said they dated him and that he was very pushy and, by the third date, he raped them, the DA said. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley initially were charged with drugging and raping seven women. Ive been doing this for a long time. A prosecutor told an Orange County Superior Court judge. I put on my clothes. Spitzer inherited the case when he won Rackauckas job and asked the California attorney generals office to step in because of perceived conflict of interest, but the request was rejected. Chad Riley, This is the wedding invitation video to Chad and Cerissa's wedding!!! But Spitzer, Rackauckas opponent and former protege, wasted no time in attacking Rackauckas for the timing of the rape charges. 2023 Cable News Network. According to the district attorneys office, Robicheaux graduated from Louisiana State University medical school in 2007. Orange County District Attorney Its hard for them to make these reports about things that were so very humiliating in the first place then have to relive the pain, he said. An investigator who led the probe into sexual assault allegations against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend is accusing Orange County Dist. She is a good person, Chad tells PEOPLE. But Riley and Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon and former reality TV show personality, arent guaranteed freedom. In May, prosecutors made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case, asking to. Robicheaux was billed as Grant R. on the show. Grant Robicheauxs Newport Beach, California, home. In 2013, he was named Bachelor of the Year by Orange Coast Magazine. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, 34, were. Newport Beach surgeon and reality TV star Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley faced decades in prison for allegedly drugging and raping multiple . I remember thinking his life was really exciting. His book You Will See Fire: A Search for Justice in Kenya, based on his Times series, was published in 2011. How many more women were exposed to illegal acts since 2016 when these allegations first came to light? said Spitzer, who won the election two months later. News Conference Seeking Potential Additional Victims of Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley, News Release orangecountyda.org/civica/press/display.asp?layout=2&Entry=5710 Law enforcement investigating this case believe there may be additional victims. State prosecutors have acknowledged that the case has become a political firestorm. During recent hearings they have told the judge that they werent saying they dont believe the women, but have instead determined they cannot prove the criminal allegations they are trying to drop. They seemed like a picture-perfect California couple. His emphasis is on bone and soft tissue traumatic and sports-related injuries as well as those due to overuse, arthritis and aging. He said thousands of videos and photos were found on Robicheauxs phone, many showing the couple having sexual contact with unconscious women. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Michael Carroll, of the sexual assault unit. The defendants may have traveled together to various festivals and locations since 2015 including Burning Man in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, Dirtybird Campout festival in Silverado, Splash House festival in Palm Springs, and landmarks near Page, Arizona, the district attorneys office said. This case was filed in Orange County Superior Courts, Lamoreaux Justice Center located in Orange, California. Her handsome boyfriend was dubbed Orange Countys Most Eligible Bachelor in 2013. Riley works as sales coordinator for a bus and transportation company in Orange, California, called Transportation Charter Services (TCS), according to a now-deleted bio on the companys website. Kelby Zorgdrager His office could not prove that the defendants believed their accusers incapable of sexual consent, he said. If the judge were to deny the request to dismiss some of the remaining charges, there is disagreement about what could happen if the attorney generals office then decides to walk away from the case. Rackauckas told potential victims, well listen to you, well conduct a full investigation and well do so without judgment. Discovery Company. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Dr. Robicheaux and Ms. Riley believe that such allegations do a disservice to, and dangerously undermine, the true victims of sexual assault, and they are eager to have the proper spotlight shed on this case in a public trial. In 2014, Grant Robicheaux appeared on the short-lived Bravo reality TV series, Online Dating Rituals of an American Male, as one of two participants on the fifth episode of the shows lone season. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. And that gives hope to some of the couples accusers. Check out more on Riley below. Of course it would. A toxicology report found the woman to have cocaine, ecstasy and MDA in her system. That has nothing to do with the filing.. Rackauckas said the duo targeted women at bars and events like Burning Man, as well as on dating apps including Bumble and Tinder. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. He is currently affiliated with the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the California Orthopaedic Association. According to the medical group, Robicheaux served as a medical volunteer in Recife, Brazil, and founded a group called Giving In Good Hands Ortho, with a mission of providing medical care to underserved regions and teaching people in those areas to care for themselves. Then Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas speaks after Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley, was charged with drugging and raping five more women as prosecutors added felony kidnapping counts and increased bail for each of them to $1 million on Oct. 17, 2018. And was then accused of murder. July 16, 2011 Upload, livestream, and create your own videos, all in HD. It was a question that Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones wrestled with Friday, openly expressing skepticism that what prosecutors are now seeking the dismissal of rape charges equaled justice. Dr. His 31-year-old girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, was a pretty dance instructor who had moved in with Robicheaux this year. Your IP: Grant and Cerissas lives were destroyed by the prior administrations misuse of the justice system, Ferlauto, the couples attorney, said. The prior District Attorney and his chief of staff manufactured this case and repeatedly misstated the evidence to lead the public and vulnerable women to believe that these two individuals plied up to 1,000 women with drugs and alcohol in order to sexually assault them; and videotape the assaults, Spitzer said in a blistering statement. Late last year, Spitzer assigned two prosecutors to examine the case. Its very scary and weird.. We have all heard of a wolf dressing up in sheeps clothing, the DA said at a recent press conference. Prosecutors alleged that Robicheaux, often with the help of his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured the women in, then drugged them, and raped them. Robicheaux, who was featured in an episode of Bravos Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in 2014, had his medical license suspended and lost his job. There doesnt seem to be any lack of participation on her side. And did you think that that publicity may be helpful to your campaign?, And that was the thought you wanted to help your campaign, I assume. The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. District attorneys office investigator Jennifer Kearns, who was removed from the case, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the county, alleging she was retaliated against. The couple has maintained their innocence from the start, and Riley told Good Morning America the decision by O.C. But former district attorney Rackauckas denied Spitzers claim that he used the case for political gain. Did you see this case of a thousand victims, a good-looking doctor, a good-looking girlfriend, as being a potential publicity vehicle for you? Cohen asked. I have taught musicals to different elementary schools and I have substituted for elementary and junior high schools. She said in the video her goal was to acquire a physical education credential with an authorization in dance and become the director of a high school dance department. February 5, 2020. All Rights Reserved. We went through every single victims statement.. [Cerissa is] the one [who] meets the victim and socializes and introduces the victim to the defendant, Grant Robicheaux, and then we see her engaged in sexual conduct in the videos. He noted that it had been more than two years since Newport Beach police received accusations against the couple, and eight months since the search of Robicheauxs house. It is not clear if the boy is Riley or Robicheauxs son. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Crime and Public Safety | VENDORS: Wedding Dress: The Wedding Shoppe Hair & Makeup: Bristle and Prim Florist: SLP Floral

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