Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrests Salinas man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting victims while running illegal massage business
An alleged predator is off the streets in Salinas.
The Sheriff’s Department arrested 58 year-old Anastacio Ramos Rubio today.
He’s accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least one woman through an illegal massage business he ran out of his house.
The Monterey County Sheriff said the suspect was operating the illegal business at his home on Fontes Lane in the Boronda neighborhood, and that's where the sexual crimes took place.
Sheriff Tina Nieto said they served a warrant there Friday afternoon after a family member came forward, saying her mother was sexually assaulted during a massage.
"Our victim was, naive and trusted mr. Ramos, and, complied with him. But this was a practice that we believe, mr. Ramos had, perpetrated, over time because he's been in the area for a while,” said Nieto.
And the charges go beyond sexual assault.
“Mr. Ramos also injected the victim with an unknown substance that he said would help her to relax. And he provided her with some unknown pills also to take during, this massage," said Nieto.
People in Salinas were shocked to hear the news.
"Put her under drugs and then take advantage of her? That’s crazy, that’s crazy. That’s a sick man right there. Sick man, very sick individual. Devious individual,” said Jesse Hernandez and Charles Estes on Main Street in Salinas.
The sheriff believes the suspect likely has committed the same crimes against other women, and there could be many victims.
"This is a practice that's been brought over from, like, Mexico and some of these other countries, where these unlicensed misuse, type of businesses are just done by people passing phone numbers between families.
So, that's why we believe that there's other victims out there that are maybe embarrassed. We believe there's other victims out there because he was very prolific, on things that we, identified in the investigation," said Nieto.
Ramos Rubio was booked today on charges of sodomy, sexual battery, and unlicensed medical practice while performing unlicensed massage services.
The sheriff commended the bravery of the victim who came forward, and urged any other victims or people with information to come forward as well. The department hopes to hang more charges on the suspect and seek a severe punishment.
