Crime & Safety

Apple Valley Man Charged With Rape, Falsely Reporting Assault

Edwin Ocampo Espinoza faces a felony charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, along with lesser charges of domestic assault, falsely reporting a crime and giving police a false name.

An Apple Valley man faces several charges after authorities say he raped a woman, then falsely accused her of assaulting him.

Edwin Ocampo Espinoza, also known as David Cerezo Sanchez, 30, is charged with criminal sexual conduct, domestic assault, falsely reporting a crime and providing a false name to police.

The felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

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The gross misdemeanor domestic assault and providing a false name to a peace officer charges each carry maximum penalties of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine, and the misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a crime carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Espinoza, who was arrested Wednesday, remained in the Dakota County Jail on Tuesday on a $100,000 bond. An omnibus hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

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According to the criminal complaint:

were called to a home on Dec. 30, where Espinoza—who identified himself to police as David Sanchez—told them that a woman with whom he had just ended a relationship had come to his home “intoxicated and unwanted.”

Espinoza told police that when he tried to escort her out of his home, she scratched his chest.

Another woman in the home, who had called 911, allegedly told police that she had witnessed the assault. Espinoza’s mother, who was also home, refused to give a statement to police.

Police arrested the first woman; she denied scratching Espinoza, the complaint says.

On Jan. 5, an Apple Valley police investigator interviewed the woman again.

She told police she had been considering ending her long-term relationship with Espinoza; she said Espinoza had been trying to get her to include the other woman he was involved with in their sexual activity, and that he had become “very aggressive” about the idea of including her.

After she moved her things out of the house, Espinoza began calling her and treating her well, she said.

The woman said she went to Chicago with him, but before the return trip Espinoza got angry about a puddle of oil under the car, and slapped and kicked her, the complaint says.

He then allegedly demanded sex.

The next morning, after the woman got help with the car and was loading her belongings, Espinoza allegedly asked her to stay. Two days later, he told her to quit her job and that he wanted to buy a house together.

On her way to get her belongings from the salon where she worked, she tried to fill her car with gasoline, but it foamed up and over the spout. Espinoza picked her up instead and took her to the salon, and said he was going inside to tell them she quit, the complaint says.

When she asked if she could say goodbye, Espinoza became “angry and aggressive," according to the complaint.

Espinoza then took the victim to the liquor store, allegedly telling her that they were going to celebrate and that he had a surprise for her.

Espinoza and the woman had three drinks when they returned home, according to the complaint, though she told police she didn’t believe Espinoza was actually drinking.

She said she began to feel sick, and vomited in the bathroom. When she came out, police and Espinoza’s alleged other girlfriend were there, and Espinoza said, “Don’t you remember what you did to me?”

After police arrested the woman, she then believed her arrest was the “surprise” Espinoza had mentioned, the complaint says.

Police obtained surveillance video from the liquor store and a Target store, which verified the woman’s version of events on Dec. 29. They also determined that sugar had been poured into the gas tank of her car, according to the complaint.

Espinoza eventually told police that he had drained the oil from the woman's car, falsely reported the domestic assault and gave law enforcement his cousin’s name and date of birth, the complaint says.

Espinoza’s criminal record includes a 2009 conviction for making terroristic threats against another woman, who is the mother of two of his children.


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