Patient Held in Attack on Therapist

A man who allegedly raped a therapist during a court-ordered mental health session in her Irvine office Thursday remained in custody on $50,000 bail, police said.

Thai Quoc Ngo, 23, of Westminster was arrested Thursday evening in connection with the incident after police were able to get into the therapist’s office, where the suspect had holed himself up, police said. The therapist had managed to escape earlier, said Irvine Police Sgt. Bob Richardson.

The attack allegedly occurred during a 6 to 7 p.m. session between Ngo and the therapist in the Woodbridge Lake area of the city, Richardson said.

The therapist, who was in her 40s, was taken to Anaheim Memorial Hospital for a sexual assault examination and released Friday, Richardson said.

The therapist previously had conducted six to eight therapy sessions with the suspect, the sergeant said.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Ngo allegedly struck the therapist in the face, Richardson said.

The suspect then allegedly forced the therapist to “commit an act of oral copulation and then continued to sexually assault her” for about 45 minutes, Richardson said.

Knowing she had an appointment at 7 p.m., the therapist managed to make her way to the adjoining waiting room, where she was able to tell waiting clients to call 911.

When police arrived, they found Ngo had locked himself in the office and refused to surrender, Richardson said.

Ngo is being held at the Orange County Jail on suspicion of rape, Richardson said.