Full Notification

On October 8, 2022, Detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department traveled to Aurora, CO to arrest Charles Gaines (26 yrs) for a series of sexual assaults including forcible rape with a weapon and sodomy which occurred in 2020.  The initial investigations were handled by Simi Valley and Los Angeles Police Departments.  During those cases, DNA was collected from the unrelated victims which provided a suspect profile that later connected the incidents together. 

In August of 2022, Charles Gaines was arrested by Aurora PD for a warrant related to an extortion case handled by the Los Angeles Police Department.  During that arrest, a DNA profile was obtained from Gaines which linked him to the other outstanding rape cases.  Detectives from Simi Valley Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and attorneys and investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s office collaborated in an attempt to file all of the cases simultaneously and re-arrest Gaines in Colorado, who had since been released from custody.  On October 7, 2022, a warrant for the arrest of Gaines was obtained for the following violations:

PC 261(a)(2) – Forcible Rape
PC 264(c)(2) – Rape with a minor over 14 years old
PC 236.1(c)(1) – Human Trafficking with a minor
PC 136.1(c) – Witness Intimidation
PC 287(c)(2)(A) – Forced Oral Copulation
PC 286(c)(2)(A) – Sodomy
PC 243.4(a) – Sexual Battery while restrained
PC 664/261(a)(2) – Attempted Rape

Simi Valley Police detectives traveled to Aurora, CO and worked with officers and detectives from Aurora Police Department in an effort to arrest Gaines and serve search warrants at his residence to locate evidence related to the crimes.  Gaines was arrested by Aurora PD for the warrant out of Ventura County and was booked on the listed charges.  Gaines is currently awaiting extradition back to California.

Charles Gaines would frequently meet his victims via online dating applications.  He also went by the first name of Chris, Christopher, and C.J.  Anyone with information regarding Charles Gaines or related incidents should contact Det. Jessica Getchius at (805) 583-6914.