Man Is Charged in Attacks on Women

A 20-year-old Van Nuys man has been charged with a total of eight counts of attempted rape, sexual battery and kidnaping related to a string of attacks on women in North Hollywood and Van Nuys, prosecutors said.

Araik Gayayan was arrested April 3 after investigators traced him to a car that was used in an attack on a woman in March in North Hollywood, Deputy Dist. Atty. Edwin F. Greene said. Since then, Gayayan has been identified as a suspect in two other attacks against women that occurred before his April arrest, Greene said.

Gayayan was released on $100,000 bail after his April arrest, and he had not been rearrested as of Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

An attempt will be made to have his bail increased, Greene said.

Some of the charges were filed in April and additional ones were filed Tuesday after investigators said they had linked him to an incident in November.

In each case, Gayayan would approach the woman as she walked along the street and begin talking to her, Greene said.

“After that, he would grab them and drag them to his car,” he said. During the attacks, the man molested the women but each managed to escape, either by breaking away or screaming loudly, Greene said.