A 56-year-old Orange County, California, man was arrested on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, and is facing three counts of sexual assault after he allegedly took advantage of three women with developmental disabilities that he was responsible for transporting. His arraignment was scheduled to be held at the Orange County Superior Courthouse in Santa Ana on Friday, April 28, 2017.
The defendant in this case, a resident of Garden Grove, was working as a bus driver with Western Transit Systems Inc., when the incident is alleged to have occurred on March 23, 2017. He and his employer were contracted to carry clients of Orange County’s non-profit Regional Center at the time.
That day, it’s alleged that the man dropped off one passenger before parking his bus in a residential neighborhood. It’s then that he is accused of having spent a number of minutes sexually assaulting his three remaining female passengers.
It was only because a concerned citizen noted it strange that the bus was parked in the neighborhood and went to check on the bus occupants that the alleged crime was discovered. The witness first called the bus company who, in turn, called the police to notify them of what was alleged to have been seen.
The families of the women involved have been notified of the treatment their loved ones are suspected to have endured. Regional Center representatives are also helping police with their investigation.
The commission of sexual crimes, especially ones that involve aggravated circumstances such as is the case in this situation, can carry stiff penalties if the defendant is ultimately convicted of the crime. In working with a skilled Orange County criminal defense attorney, the defendant has a better chance of responding to charges he or she is accused of.
Source: latimes.com, “Orange County bus driver accused of sexually assaulting developmentally disabled women,” Veronica Rocha, April 28, 2017