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A registered sex offender has been accused of carrying out a string of daytime sexual assaults against six women on the same day in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, an area already grappling with a surge in high-end home burglaries, authorities said.
Damian Denzell Robinson, 29, surrendered Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lancaster Station and is now in custody, according to police.
Robinson had been sought in connection with at least six attacks on April 19 in the San Fernando Valley, where investigators say he allegedly preyed on victims, several described as elderly, over the course of several hours.
The alleged spree comes as police warn of a broader rise in crime across the San Fernando Valley, including a string of organized home burglaries targeting affluent neighborhoods like Sherman Oaks, Studio City and North Hollywood — even as police ramp up patrols and deploy a dedicated task force.
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Robinson turned himself in after being sought in connection with multiple assaults targeting women in the San Fernando Valley. (LAPD)
Authorities say burglars have hit multiple homes in rapid succession, ransacking properties and targeting valuables, while other incidents, including a commercial copper wire theft that led to a police chase, highlight what officials describe as increasingly bold and coordinated criminal activity.
While those crimes have largely focused on property, Robinson’s alleged actions mark a more personal and violent threat, with women targeted during the day in public places, including businesses, grocery stores and a retail restroom.
The crime spree began shortly after 9:10 a.m. inside a business near Devonshire Street and Balboa Boulevard, where police say an “elderly female victim” was approached, overpowered and sexually assaulted before the suspect fled on foot.
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Less than an hour later, another woman near Forbes Avenue and Calahan Street fought off an attempted assault, holding onto her waistband and confronting the suspect, forcing him to run.
By 10 a.m., a third victim reported being grabbed from behind and assaulted near Lassen Street and Encino Avenue — an incident investigators say was recorded on the suspect’s cellphone.
Authorities say the attacks continued into the late morning and afternoon, including inside a grocery store near Vanowen Street and Corbin Avenue at 11:15 a.m., and again around 12:37 p.m. at another market near Mason Avenue and Sherman Way, where the suspect allegedly pulled down a victim’s clothing while recording.
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Surveillance footage shows the suspect authorities say carried out multiple daytime assaults across Los Angeles. (LAPD)
In one of the most alarming incidents, police say a woman inside a retail store restroom near Corbin Avenue and Nordhoff Street discovered she was being recorded from underneath a stall at 3:20 p.m.
In each case, the suspect fled on foot before officers arrived.
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“The incidents were captured on closed-circuit television, which investigators used to identify the suspect,” police said.
Robinson, who has a prior conviction for indecent exposure and lewd conduct and is required to register as a sex offender, was identified through that surveillance footage.
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Damian Denzell Robinson, 29, has a prior conviction requiring him to register as a sex offender, police said. (LAPD)
Detectives have released his booking photo, warning he may be responsible for additional, unreported assaults.
“We are actively investigating this matter and encourage any additional victims to come forward,” police said.
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Authorities described Robinson as about 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, and said he was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, white T-shirt, tan pants and blue-and-white Nike shoes, along with eyeglasses.
It remains unclear what prompted Robinson to surrender.
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The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information or who believes they may have been a victim is urged to contact Devonshire Area Sexual Assault Detective II Danielle Tumbleson at 818-832-3247.