July 2, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Serial Predator David Pearce Convicted of Murders, Rape in Shocking Fentanyl Overdose Case in West LA

“Dead Girls Don’t Talk,” Fake Producer Abandoned Women’s Bodies Like Garbage

A jury convicted David Brian Pearce of two counts of first-degree murder in the fentanyl overdose deaths of Christy Giles, a 24-year-old aspiring actress and model, and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, Giles’s friend and an immigrant who was an interior designer and architect, in November 2021, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced.

Pearce was also found guilty of multiple sexual assault charges involving seven women over a 14-year period. The jury convicted him of three counts of forcible rape, one count of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of sodomy by use of force, one count of rape of an unconscious woman, and one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object.

“Today, a serial rapist was held accountable for the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, both of whom tragically died as a result of fentanyl poisoning and the victimization of seven other women across Los Angeles,” Hochman said. “I thank the trial team, Deputy District Attorneys Catherine Mariano and Seth Carmack, for their tireless pursuit of justice and determination to give a voice to the women who bravely came forward to report the crimes committed against them.”

Pearce, 42, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He faces 148 years to life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on two counts of accessory after the fact against co-defendant Brandt Walter Osborn, 44. Osborn is set to return to court for a pretrial hearing on March 13.

Prosecutors said that on Nov. 13, 2021, Pearce, Osborn, and an acquaintance, Michael Ansbach, met Giles and Cabrales-Arzola at a warehouse party in East Los Angeles. The women later accompanied the men to Pearce’s Pico Robertson apartment. While there, Pearce provided them with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and fentanyl, leading to fatal overdoses.

Around 35 minutes after arriving at the apartment, Cabrales-Arzola called a rideshare car to leave, but neither woman left until hours later. Surveillance footage showed Pearce carrying Giles out of the apartment about 11 hours later and Cabrales-Arzola about an hour and a half after that. Pearce dropped Giles’s dead body off outside of Southern California Hospital in Culver City and abandoned the still-living but critically ill Cabralales-Arzola outside of the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles’s hospital. 

Dusty Giles, Christy’s mother, was told that her daughter was “dropped off at our hospital on the outside, kind of like a bag of garbage.” 

Giles was pronounced dead upon arrival, while Cabrales-Arzola was resuscitated but died 11 days later, the day before her 27th birthday after being pronounced brain dead. Pearce’s DNA was found on both women, including under Cabralas-Arzola’s fingernails. 

In an LAPD press release, three masked men were identified as the suspects who left the unconscious women’s bodies outside of the hospitals: David Pearce, 37; Michael Ansbach, 47; and Brandt Osborn, 42, using a Black Toyota Prius with no license plates. Ansbach was not charged and testified that Pearce had told him, “ “Dead girls don’t talk.”, as quoted by NBC Los Angeles. 

During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence linking Pearce to multiple drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Seven victims testified during the trial, describing his pattern of predatory behavior after they stepped forward with their stories.

The case was prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office’s Sex Crimes Division and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

in NEWS
Related Posts

Top Military Commander Urges Return of Troops Deployed to ICE Protest Response

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

General Requests 200 National Guard Soldiers Be Returned to California Wildfire Unit The senior U.S. military officer overseeing federal forces...

(Video) Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, Holly J. Mitchel, Gives a Powerful Speech

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Supervisor Mitchell Called on Residents to take action at the rally for Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano in Culver City.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Parents Opposed to LGBTQ Books in Schools

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Decision Could Pave Way for More Opt-Out Challenges Across the Country The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that a Maryland...

The Westside Lights Up for July 4: Fireworks, Drone Shows, and Parades Return Across West Los Angeles

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

From Marina Del Rey’s Fireworks to Culver City’s 1980s-Themed Drone Show, Get Ready to Celebrate From fireworks over Marina del...

Tens of Thousands Defy Ban at Budapest Pride as Hungary Cracks Down on LGBTQ+ Rights

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Marchers Risk Fines and Jail Under New Law Targeting LGBTQ+ Gatherings Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Budapest...

California Judge Rules FAIR Plan’s Smoke Damage Policy Unlawful

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Court Says Wildfire Insurance Program Illegally Denied Claims Legal protections for California homeowners took a step forward this week after...

(Video) Culver City Residents and City and County Leaders Rally for Disappeared Ice Cream Man Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

US Representative for California’s 37th Congressional District, Sydney Kamlager-Dove Speaks About What is happening to the disappeared.

Drake Slashes Price on Beverly Hills Estate to $79 Million Amid Market Slowdown

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Price Cut Adds to a Broader Retreat From His Los Angeles Real Estate Holdings. Musician Drake has reduced the price...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

Cinespia Brings Fireworks and Fan Favorites to Hollywood Forever This July

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Watch Top Gun, La La Land, and More Under the Stars at Hollywood Forever Cinespia, Los Angeles’ iconic outdoor movie...

LGBTQ State Senator Scott Wiener Signals Bid to Succeed Pelosi in Congress

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Wiener Files Paperwork to Run for California’s 11th District in 2028 State Sen. Scott Wiener, a prominent Democrat representing San...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Corporate Pride Pullback: Major Brands Scale Down LGBTQ+ Support Under Trump’s Second Term

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Mastercard, Target, and Others Retreat From High-Profile Campaigns as Federal Policy Shifts Shifts in federal policy under President Donald Trump’s...

Community Seeks Answers After SF Drag Performer Detained by ICE

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Hilary Rivers Vanished After a Scheduled Immigration Appointment Members of San Francisco’s queer and trans communities gathered outside the local...

EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles Returns with Star Chefs, Firefighter Tribute, and Wildfire Relief Efforts

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Culinary Festival Features Exclusive Restaurant Collabs, Support for Small Businesses  EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles, the celebrated food festival curated by The...