Sheriff’s Department Seeks Public’s Assistance After Attempted Rape in Kenneth Hahn Park

Sheriff’s Department Seeks Public’s Assistance After Attempted Rape in Kenneth Hahn Park

Feb 22, 2023

Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect accused of sexually assaulting a woman in broad daylight while she was walking in a Culver City, California, park.

Woman Sexually Assaulted at Kenneth Hahn Park; Sheriff’s Department Searching for Suspect

• Multiple Sexual Assaults Reported on Los Angeles-Area Hiking Trails
• Sexual Violence Statistics for 2023
• How to File Your Sexual Assault Civil Lawsuit

Investigators confirmed that the attempted rape occurred around 3:30 p.m. on December 22, 2022 at Kenneth Hahn Park, located in the 4100 block of La Cienega Boulevard, according to an ABC 7 report. The survivor was walking at the park when the assailant approached and then sexually assaulted her.

On Tuesday, LASD authorities released a sketch of the sexual predator. The description of the assailant provided by detectives includes:

• Hispanic male
• Between the ages of 20 and 25
• Between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall
• Hazel eyes
• Medium build
• Light complexion with possible skin discoloration on the right side of his face

The attacker was wearing a black beanie, black hooded sweatshirt. and black jogger pants at the time of the alleged attempted rape in Kenneth Hahn Park, according to a report from FOX 11.

Following the sexual assault in Culver City’s Kenneth Hahn Park, officials are recommending that Angelenos remain particularly vigilant and take extra safety precautions, including:

• Hiking in pairs
• Carrying a fully charged cell phone
• Informing family and friends of one’s whereabouts

LASD officials are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the sexual predator. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LASD Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273 or via email. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submit tips online.

Multiple Sexual Assaults Reported on Los Angeles-Area Hiking Trails

Similar hiking trail sexual assaults have occurred in recent months here in Southern California.

In November 2022, a woman was sexually assaulted by a predator at knifepoint on an Encino hiking trail. The incident occurred when the woman was hiking on the trail along Mulholland Drive. Los Angeles Police Department officials confirmed that the sexual assault happened somewhere between Tampa Avenue and Reseda Boulevard.

In January, an Irvine man – Larry Molina, 24 – was arrested for sexually assaulting a teenage girl on Peters Canyon Hiking Trail.

The teenage victim passed Molina while she was walking on the path. After she passed the suspect, he grabbed and then sexually assaulted her.

The teenage survivor successfully fought off Molina and was able to escape and then run to a nearby home where she called for help. Officers reportedly canvassed the hiking trail scene and located evidence which connected Molina to the sex crime, according to a CBS report.

Sexual Violence Statistics for 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define sexual violence as:

“sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given.”

“Sexual violence is a serious public health problem in the United States that profoundly impacts lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being. Sexual violence impacts every community and affects people of all genders, sexual orientations, and ages. Anyone can experience or perpetrate sexual violence. The perpetrator of sexual violence is usually someone the survivor knows, such as a friend, current or former intimate partner, coworker, neighbor, or family member. Sexual violence can occur in person, online, or through technology, such as posting or sharing sexual pictures of someone without their consent, or non-consensual sexting,” the CDC says.

Some alarming 2023 sexual assault statistics confirmed by the CDC include:

• Over half of women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes.
• One in four women and about one in 26 men have experienced completed or attempted rape. About one in nine men were made to penetrate someone during his lifetime.
• One in three women and about one in nine men experienced sexual harassment in a public place.
• More than four in five female rape survivors reported that they were first raped before age 25 and almost half were first raped as a minor (i.e., before age 18).
• Nearly eight in 10 male rape survivors reported that they were made to penetrate someone before age 25 and about four in 10 were first made to penetrate as a minor.
• Women and racial and ethnic minority groups experience a higher burden of sexual violence.
• More than two in five non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic multiracial women were raped in their lifetime.
• Recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per survivor, including medical costs, lost productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs.

The CDC further notes that the consequences of sexual violence can vary in terms of severity and often be lifelong. Some of the most common consequences of sexual assault include:

• Physical: bruising and genital injuries, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy (for women)
• Psychological: depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
• The consequences may be chronic (survivors may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and experience re-occurring reproductive, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and sexual health problems)
• Negative health behaviors: sexual violence survivors are more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol, use drugs, and engage in risky sexual activity
• The trauma from sexual violence may impact a survivor’s employment in terms of time off from work, diminished performance, job loss, or inability to work.
• Such employment issues disrupt earning power and have a long-term effect on the economic well-being of survivors and their families.

Additionally, the CDC confirm that survivors of sexual violence may have difficulty maintaining personal relationships, returning to work or school, and regaining a sense of normalcy.

How to File Your Sexual Assault Civil Lawsuit

In California, adult sexual assault survivors typically have 10 years from the date of an incident to file a civil lawsuit for damages. However, a new law – California AB 2777 – opens a three-year window for any adult sexual assault claim to be filed for an incident which occurred on or after January 1, 2009.

Under AB 2777, the statute of limitations is paused, affording all adult survivors of sexual assault an opportunity at justice. Accordingly, a wave of civil lawsuits on behalf of survivors seeking justice have already been filed (and thousands of additional claims are expected to be brought against sexual predators).

To file your sexual assault claim, contact a member of Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) team of sex crimes attorneys at 866-GO-SEE-SAM. Sam Dordulian is DLG’s founder and president. As a former sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council, Dordulian and his team of Los Angeles, California, sexual assault attorneys have helped survivors secure countless multi-million dollar sex crime settlements.

Our dedicated and aggressive sexual assault lawyers will fight to obtain all applicable damages within your civil claim:

• Pain and suffering
• Hospital bills
• Medical care costs (past and future)
• Lost wages
• Diminished future earning capacity
• Punitive damages
• Prescription drug costs (past and future)
• Reduced quality of life
• Emotional trauma and psychological harm

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Contact DLG’s SAJE Team today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM to discuss your sexual assault case confidentially, freely, and without any obligation. Our expert legal representation is provided on a contingency fee basis, which means you’ll never pay anything upfront or out-of-pocket. You don’t receive any bill for our services until after we’ve successfully obtained a maximum financial damages award for your sexual assault case.