May 3, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Serial Predator David Pearce Convicted of Murders, Rape in Shocking Fentanyl Overdose Case in West LA

“Dead Girls Don’t Talk,” Fake Producer Abandoned Women’s Bodies Like Garbage

A jury convicted David Brian Pearce of two counts of first-degree murder in the fentanyl overdose deaths of Christy Giles, a 24-year-old aspiring actress and model, and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, Giles’s friend and an immigrant who was an interior designer and architect, in November 2021, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced.

Pearce was also found guilty of multiple sexual assault charges involving seven women over a 14-year period. The jury convicted him of three counts of forcible rape, one count of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of sodomy by use of force, one count of rape of an unconscious woman, and one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object.

“Today, a serial rapist was held accountable for the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, both of whom tragically died as a result of fentanyl poisoning and the victimization of seven other women across Los Angeles,” Hochman said. “I thank the trial team, Deputy District Attorneys Catherine Mariano and Seth Carmack, for their tireless pursuit of justice and determination to give a voice to the women who bravely came forward to report the crimes committed against them.”

Pearce, 42, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He faces 148 years to life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on two counts of accessory after the fact against co-defendant Brandt Walter Osborn, 44. Osborn is set to return to court for a pretrial hearing on March 13.

Prosecutors said that on Nov. 13, 2021, Pearce, Osborn, and an acquaintance, Michael Ansbach, met Giles and Cabrales-Arzola at a warehouse party in East Los Angeles. The women later accompanied the men to Pearce’s Pico Robertson apartment. While there, Pearce provided them with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and fentanyl, leading to fatal overdoses.

Around 35 minutes after arriving at the apartment, Cabrales-Arzola called a rideshare car to leave, but neither woman left until hours later. Surveillance footage showed Pearce carrying Giles out of the apartment about 11 hours later and Cabrales-Arzola about an hour and a half after that. Pearce dropped Giles’s dead body off outside of Southern California Hospital in Culver City and abandoned the still-living but critically ill Cabralales-Arzola outside of the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles’s hospital. 

Dusty Giles, Christy’s mother, was told that her daughter was “dropped off at our hospital on the outside, kind of like a bag of garbage.” 

Giles was pronounced dead upon arrival, while Cabrales-Arzola was resuscitated but died 11 days later, the day before her 27th birthday after being pronounced brain dead. Pearce’s DNA was found on both women, including under Cabralas-Arzola’s fingernails. 

In an LAPD press release, three masked men were identified as the suspects who left the unconscious women’s bodies outside of the hospitals: David Pearce, 37; Michael Ansbach, 47; and Brandt Osborn, 42, using a Black Toyota Prius with no license plates. Ansbach was not charged and testified that Pearce had told him, “ “Dead girls don’t talk.”, as quoted by NBC Los Angeles. 

During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence linking Pearce to multiple drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Seven victims testified during the trial, describing his pattern of predatory behavior after they stepped forward with their stories.

The case was prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office’s Sex Crimes Division and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

in News
Related Posts

Film Review: The Accountant 2

May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

FILM REVIEWTHE ACCOUNTANT 2Rated R124 MinutesReleased April 25th   I’m impressed with The Accountant 2. It’s intelligently written, tightly paced, and...

Culver City’s Hero Faire Returns May 4 With Costumes, Contests, and Community Fun

May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

A Whimsical Adventure for Families and Fantasy Fans This Weekend Families, friends, and fantasy fans alike are invited to embrace...

Driver in Fatal PCH Crash That Killed Four Pepperdine Students Ordered to Stand Trial

May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

Man Accused of Driving 104 MPH in Fatal Malibu Crash  Fraser Michael Bohm, 23, was held to answer on four...

Police Search for Suspects in Attempted Smash-and-Grab at West L.A. Bakery

May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

Investigation of Burglary Attempt at Pico-Robertson Bakery Underway Authorities are searching for four suspects who attempted to burglarize a West...

Rolling Robots Camp is a ‘Tech Genius Program’

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Roll out the … robots.  An afterschool learning center for robotics and STEM is hosting weekly camps this summer designed...

UCLA Police Confront Students at Anniversary Screening of Encampment Documentary

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Students Mark Somber Anniversary With a Film, UCPD Responds in Force On the first anniversary of the attack on the...

Cinco de Mayo Heats Up West Los Angeles With Food, Art, Music, and Mezcal Tastings

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Mezcal Tastings, DJ Sets, Live Mural Installations, and Tlayudas Await It’s almost time for the holiday that isn’t celebrated in...

Make Your Own Pizza and Sip Craft Beer at Santa Monica’s Gourmandise School May 4

May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

DIY Pizza and Craft Beer Collab Coming to Santa Monica Place Food lovers are invited to roll up their sleeves...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

For More Info, Go To Aplustree.com For More Info, Go To https://t.co/fvJmXNZPfw pic.twitter.com/acHlzYhaFs — Westside Today (@WestsideLAToday) May 1, 2025

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby Day with Two Stylish Parties in L.A. on May 3

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Two Ways to Celebrate Derby Day: From Rooftop Revelry to Classic Cocktails Hatchet Hall is inviting guests to don their...

Free Spanish Wine Happy Hour Coming to The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Gratis Happy Hour Includes Cheeses, Hand-Cut Jamón, and Exclusive Pairings Wine lovers are invited to a complimentary happy hour at...

Westside Restaurant Owner Alleges Excessive Force by LAPD in New Civil Rights Lawsuit

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Arrest Occurred After Business Owner Attempted to Make a Misconduct Complaint The co-owner of a well-known café in South Los...

L.A. Councilmembers, Labor Leaders Oppose Proposed Cuts to LAPD Civilian Workforce

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Roles Targeted Include Crime Scene Techs, 911 System Staff, and Fleet Mechanics Los Angeles City Councilmembers and labor leaders voiced...

Preliminary Hearing Begins for Driver in Malibu Crash That Claimed Four Pepperdine Students’ Lives

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Defense Disputes Speed Claims in PCH Tragedy That Killed Four A Malibu man accused of speeding and crashing into a...

Prime Time Sports and Day Camps Coming Soon

April 30, 2025

April 30, 2025

Prime Time Sports Camp has remained a constant in the everchanging camp landscape for over 30 years by following this...