An 18 year old Lancaster man was charged today in the Van Nuys court with 14 felonies, including forcible rape and kidnapping, stemming from his July 4 attack on a worker at the Westfield shopping mall in Canoga Park.

The alleged attack happened when the man held the victim at knifepoint when she returned to her car in the parking lot.  He then sexually assaulted and robbed her.

The man now faces counts of rape, identity theft, kidnapping, second-degree robbery, sexual penetration by foreign object, forcible oral copulation, sodomy by use of force and second-degree commercial burglary.  He faces a maximum of life in prison.

Being  charged with kidnapping or a sex crime is about as serious as it gets in Los Angeles County.  The District Attorney’s Office takes these crimes, and protecting the victims, very seriously.  Kidnapping charges can lead to long prison sentences, especially if committed along with other serious crimes, and sex offenses can lead to possible lifetime sex offender registration.  There are many things a good criminal defense attorney should consider when representing someone faced with these types of charges.  Sometimes it is not just about keeping someone out of jail, but also about minimizing the negative impact on that person’s life down the line.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a sex crime, kidnapping, identity theft or burglary in Downtown Los Angeles, CCB, Airport Court, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills or anywhere in Central Los Angeles, contact attorney Ross Erlich today.