Police Say Rape Case Not Linked to Others

The rape of a Thousand Oaks woman in her home earlier this week is not connected to a series of rapes and sexual assaults in Simi Valley for which a serial criminal is being sought, authorities said Wednesday.

The latest victim was raped about 3:30 a.m. Monday in her home in Thousand Oaks near Windsor Drive and Janss Road, deputies said.

The woman was treated at a Ventura hospital, where DNA evidence was collected, deputies said.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Sparks said there is no evidence to connect Monday’s rape to five sexual assaults and two rapes that have occurred in Simi Valley since June 1996.

In those cases, the victims were stalked and then attacked in their homes as other family members or friends slept in adjacent rooms, deputies said. Those victims were between 15 and 23 with thin builds and light brown hair.

None of the victims in the Simi Valley cases have been able to give deputies a detailed description of their attacker.

Meanwhile, deputies released a composite sketch of the suspect in Monday’s rape.

He is described as Latino, 25 to 30 years old, 5-feet-10, 200 pounds and has black hair. At the time of the attack, he was wearing blue jeans and a blue T-shirt with a logo on the back.

Anyone with information can anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 494-TALK or 385-TALK.