Man accused of rape to begin trial

The trial for a Costa Mesa man accused of raping two underage women is set to begin Monday, according to court records.

Jaime Zamora Ramirez, 42, is accused of forcibly raping two underage female employees who worked with him at a Fountain Valley dry cleaning business, according to a January 2010 news release from the Orange County district attorney. He reportedly threatened to expose one as undocumented and have her deported if she reported the crime, the statement said.

Ramirez is accused of asking another employee to drive one of the female victims to his Costa Mesa home to pick up paperwork for First Class Cleaners in 2009. When she entered the home, Ramirez is accused of directing her toward a room in the house where he said the paperwork was, locking her in and raping her.

He is also accused of raping another female employee at her apartment in 2008.

Ramirez has a previous strike against him for vehicular manslaughter and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted, the statement said.

—Lauren Williams