Man Held on Drug, Sex Charges

A chiropractor from Northern California, facing charges of having sex with several minors and providing them with illegal drugs, money and pornography, was arrested Saturday at a West Hollywood bank, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officers said Sunday.

David S. Becker, 43, was taken into custody at the Citibank branch at 9059 Sunset Blvd. after he tried to withdraw money from his account, said Sgt. Tom Bryski of the West Hollywood sheriff’s station.

Becker was wanted by police in Orinda, an upscale community east of Berkeley, where he allegedly provided drugs to several high school students and had sex with them. He also allegedly photographed the students in sexual acts. Detectives also uncovered a cache of child pornography at Becker’s home in Orinda.

On Saturday, a teller at a Citibank branch in West Hollywood called Becker’s Orinda branch to verify his information when he tried to add another name to the account.

An Orinda bank officer recognized Becker’s name and told the teller in West Hollywood to keep him busy while she called Orinda police. Orinda police had the West Hollywood teller call 911 while they contacted Los Angeles authorities. Becker was arrested a few minutes later.

“They kept stalling him until we got there,” Bryski said. Becker, who is being held on $1.5-million bail at the Twin Towers jail, will be returned to Contra Costa County, Bryski said.

Douglas Horngrad, Becker’s attorney, said his client was at the bank preparing for his voluntary surrender, which, Horngrad added, had been arranged for this week.