South Bay man charged with drugging and sexually assaulting 9 women, including 1 who died

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A South Bay man who allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted nine women at his homes in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, including one who died as a result of the alleged drugging, has been charged with 18 felony counts, including murder and rape by use of a drug.

Michael DiGiorgio, 50, appeared Friday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom and was ordered to return to court Nov. 6 for arraignment.

DiGiorgio allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted the women between May 2019 and August 2020, according to the criminal complaint.

The woman who died from the alleged drugging in July 2020 was identified only as "Jane Doe 1" in the complaint.

The complaint alleges that DiGiorgio "personally inflicted great bodily injury" on two other alleged victims who are not named in the sexual assault charges.

DiGiorgio is charged with one count each of murder, forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person and oral copulation by use of a drug, along with two counts each of sodomy by use of a drug, forcible sexual penetration and furnishing a controlled substance, three counts of rape by use of a drug and five counts of sexual penetration by use of a drug, according to the District Attorney's Office.

DiGiorgio was arrested Thursday morning by Redondo Beach police and has remained behind bars without bail since then, jail records show.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney's Office.

In a statement announcing the charges, District Attorney George Gascón said, "I extend my deepest sympathy to the victims, whose lives have been irrevocably changed and the life lost by the alleged brutal acts of the offender... I encourage anyone with information related to these incidents or any other incidents regarding Mr. DiGiorgio to report it to the Redondo Beach Police Department."

The Redondo Beach Police Department's hotline can be reached at (714) 863-2859.