An alleged serial rapist, who investigators said is responsible for at least six attacks in Contra Costa County, made his first court appearance Tuesday.
Investigators said 39-year-old Christopher Owens has been preying on women for years and his bail has been set at more than $8 million. He faces charges of rape, sexual assault and burglary
Officials claim Ownens’ sexual crimes spree started when he allegedly raped a woman in a Walnut Creek grocery store parking lot back in 2017.
They believe he attacked at least five more victims in Contra Costa County through the years, with the latest assault taking place just five days before his arrest in July.
“Counts include three counts of forcible rape three counts of assault to commit rape and several counts related to those incidents,” said Deputy District Attorney Max Laettner.
Investigators said he met and picked up his last victim at a Martinez Chevron station. They said he preyed on women he didn’t know until police were finally able to connect the dots and identify him.
“The victims were strong enough to come forward and report their incidents,” said Laettner. “Then all these investigations were ongoing all these years and finally came together for us, just yesterday we filed a case.”
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Owens was supposed to be formally arraigned Tuesday, but it was postponed until next week to give him a chance to consult an attorney who, according to the court, was retained by his wife and family.
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