Man arrested nearly a decade after masked knife-point rape in Simi Valley

In late September 2017, a woman walking on Galena Avenue in Simi Valley was attacked by a group of men who concealed their faces with masks resembling the Ghostface character from the “Scream” movies. One of the alleged participants, 39-year-old Ricardo Jimenez-Garcia, was arrested last month after investigators reopened the cold case and linked him to the crime. Garcia, a Mexican-born polisher, is detained at the Ventura County Main Jail and is scheduled for a court appearance on Nov. 18.

He faces several felony counts, including forcible rape while acting in concert, sodomy, second-degree robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, as well as an unrelated charge of felony unlawful sexual intercourse. Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Emily Reber is prosecuting, and investigators have asked the public to contact District Investigator Yumi Kirk with any information.