Man sentenced to nearly 26 years in state prison for 2 sexual assaults in Angeles National Forest

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years and eight months in state prison for sexually assaulting two women in the Angeles National Forest.

Eduardo Sarabia pleaded no contest to one count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and kidnapping involving the May 2024 attacks, along with two counts of lewd act on a child under 14 involving two young children -- one between February 2010 and February 2012 and the other between April 2021 and April 2022, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Sarabia was arrested May 13 and has remained behind bars since then, jail records show.

The two women were attacked in separate incidents - on May 12 and 13 between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. - in the remote canyon hills above Azusa, according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

In the first case, authorities said Sarabia met a woman in the area of the El Monte Metrolink Station and struck up a conversation with her. He then offered her a ride and allegedly drove to the area where the assault occurred - along Highway 39 in the Angeles National Forest.

When sheriff's investigators went to the location the next day to patrol the location, they said they found the van and the suspect with a second victim. The woman was allegedly screaming for help when law enforcement arrived.

"The horrific and violent sexual assault that these two survivors endured by the alleged suspect is deeply troubling and incomprehensible," L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the victims during this tremendously difficult time."

City News Service contributed to this report.