Crime & Safety
Additional Victims Of Suspected Serial Child Rapist Sought
A North Hollywood man is suspected of befriending families in his community in order to gain access to children, according to the LAPD.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — Detectives in North Hollywood are seeking additional victims of a suspected serial rapist targeting children.
In July, Los Angeles police arrested Simon Ruiz Hernandez on suspicion of sexually assaulting a minor. Detectives quickly discovered additional victims, alleges the los Angeles Police Department. Authorities believe the assaults had been going on for years.
"Simon Ruiz Hernandez is believed to have assaulted minors that lived nearby as he would befriend children and their families," LAPD officials said in a written release. "Among the persons that he is believed to have sexually assaulted was one adult that had been victimized
as a young child... Simon Ruiz Hernandez’s first known allegation of a sexual offense against a child occurred in 2004, and the heinous crimes alleged against him came to an end when he was arrested on July 23, 2019. Detectives believe that additional persons (minors, especially) were sexually abused by Simon Ruiz Hernandez."
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On Monday Hernandez was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse of multiple minors between the ages of 11 and 15 years old. His bail is set at 2.8 million dollars. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence.
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