Man convicted of attacking women in their homes and on hiking trails

A Ventura County judge sentenced a 42-year-old man to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of several brutal attacks on hiking trails and homes in Thousand Oaks and Oak Park.

Convicted felon Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas faces the maximum sentence of at least 32 years to life in prison plus an additional 21 years in a state prison.

In May, a jury convicted him on five counts related to a series of attacks between June 2017 and March 2020:

• One count of assault with intent to commit a sex crime against a person under 18 years of age
• Two counts of assault with intent to commit a sexual crime
• A county with forced sexual penetration by a foreign body
• Assault with the intent to commit a sexual crime during a burglary

The jury also agreed with the Ventura County District Attorney to add four specific charges to the indictment:

• Committing a crime during a burglary with the intent to commit a sexual crime
• The victim was vulnerable
• The manner in which the crime was committed indicates planning, sophistication or professionalism
• The defendant behaved violently

Prosecutors said two of the attacks took place in the victims’ homes after Ruelas walked through unlocked or open doors while he was sleeping.

The other three attacks occurred on hiking trails in Thousand Oaks and Oak Park. In one case, Ruelas jumped out of a bush and attacked a 16-year-old girl.

Detectives were able to track down Ruelas after a surveillance camera captured their license plate as they left Oak Park about 23 minutes after the attack on the 16-year-old.