A Redondo Beach man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting several women will remain in custody while prosecutors search for other alleged victims who could be added to the case.
Michael DiGiorgio, 50, was charged last month with multiple counts of rape, sodomy and murder by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
This is the second time he has been charged with assaulting women. In August 2020, he faced similar charges, which were dismissed but were recently refiled with the addition of a murder charge.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Susan DeWitt denied DiGiorgio’s request for bail, finding he continued “extraordinarily dangerous” behavior after a previous case was dismissed. Prosecutors say DiGiorgio continued to drug and sexually assault women in his home after the case was dismissed.
The previous case against him was dismissed in 2021 due to a technicality regarding a search warrant for his electronic devices, according to court records. Prosecutors intended to refile their case but waited more than three years.
Between the two cases, prosecutors conducted surveillance on his home, reviewed evidence and determined that a murder charge was warranted.
He was arrested and charged for the second time on October 16 after prosecutors re-examined the facts surrounding the alleged crimes. Investigators also monitored his home, where they allegedly saw young women coming out. During a search of his home, investigators found a clear bottle that tested positive for a drug that could be used to anesthetize a person, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Catherine Ann Mariano said in court Wednesday.
Prosecutors believe DiGiorgio also gave his victims fentanyl, and investigators have identified six other women who they say were sexually assaulted and recorded while they were unconscious.
The crimes allegedly occurred between 2019 and November 2021 at DiGiorgio’s homes in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, according to authorities. DiGiorgio is accused of murder, rape by drug use and other charges of Jane Doe 1 on July 6, 2020, according to court records.
He is also charged with selling or transporting a controlled substance on November 28, 2021.
DiGiorgio appeared in court handcuffed, bare-chested and with his prison jumpsuit pulled down to his waist. He did not speak more than a few words with his defense attorney, Pat Carey, who said his client did not attempt to flee the state after his previous case was dismissed, suggesting his client did not present no risk of leaking.
Mariano said keeping DiGiorgio in custody poses a public safety issue because his previous arrest does not appear to have deterred him from allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting more victims.
Carey declined to comment outside the courtroom and told the court he needed more time to review the evidence in the case. Additional charges could be added to the case, Mariano said, as the investigation continues to develop.
