A 27-year-old man faces a felony charge and three misdemeanor sex-crime counts after allegedly attacking three women in Newport Beach over a 10-day span in July.
Edwin Eduardo Hernandez was charged Tuesday, Aug. 18, with one felony count of false imprisonment effected by violence, menace, fraud or deceit, one misdemeanor count of sexual battery and two misdemeanor counts of touching an intimate part of another person, according to a criminal complaint first reported by Patch. The charges were filed in Orange County Superior Court.
The felony false-imprisonment count carries the most serious potential consequences. Under California Penal Code Section 236, the charge applies when a person is restrained or detained against their will through violence or threats. A conviction can result in up to three years in state prison.
The criminal complaint accuses Hernandez of attacking two women on July 27 and a third woman on July 18. The locations of the alleged incidents within Newport Beach have not been disclosed.
Neither Newport Beach police nor the Orange County District Attorney's Office responded to media requests for additional details about the case, including how Hernandez was identified or taken into custody.
Court proceedings
Hernandez appeared Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana but did not enter a plea. A judge ordered him held on $50,000 bail.
His arraignment was rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach. The Harbor Justice Center handles criminal cases originating in the city's jurisdiction, meaning the prosecution will proceed locally.
At the Sept. 9 hearing, Hernandez will be expected to enter a plea to the charges. No attorney of record for Hernandez has been identified in available court filings.
No information has been released about whether Hernandez has a prior criminal record or any connection to the three victims.
The case remains active. Residents with information can contact the Newport Beach Police Department's non-emergency line at 949-644-3717.
