Santa Barbara police are searching for possible additional victims of a man they described as a “serial rapist.”
Jerry Providence Bonhomme, 30, of Santa Barbara is being held at Santa Barbara County Jail on numerous charges, including rape of an unconscious person, rape of an intoxicated person, penetration of an intoxicated person with a foreign object, sexual battery and use of a controlled substance, said police Sgt. Riley Harwood.
Bonhomme was being held on $100,000 bail.
Police detailed three incidents dating back to December 2011 in which Bonhomme allegedly sexually assaulted highly intoxicated women he met at local bars and parties.
The most recent incident occurred in February, when a 24-year-old woman reported to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department that she had been raped in the city of Santa Barbara.
Investigation revealed that the victim met Bonhomme at a downtown bar, and was taken to his home in the 300 block of Paseo Tranquillo.
Harwood gave this account:
“After vomiting she passed out on his bed, only to awaken to find that she was partially disrobed and being sexually assaulted. The victim ordered Bonhomme to stop, which he initially did. She was terrified, however too intoxicated to flee.
“She pretended to fall asleep, however when she became fearful that she was about to be raped again, she mustered the strength to stand and exit Bonhomme’s room, shouting, which alerted his roommate. Bonhomme then drove the victim back to where her vehicle was parked downtown.
With the assistance of security footage from the bar, Bonhomme, a felony probationer, was arrested in March.
Two other women came forward with similar allegations against Bonhomme, Harwood said, in incidents that allegedly occurred in December 2011.
A 33-year-old woman told investigators she met Bonhomme at a party she attended with her boyfriend. Neither had a car, so they accepted a ride from Bonhomme, Harwood said.
“The victim next remembered waking up on Bonhomme’s bed to the realization that someone was having sex with her,” Harwood said.
She initially thought it was her boyfriend, then was horrified to learn it was Bonhomme, Harwood said.
For a time, the victim was reluctant to report the assault, but did so after learning that Bonhomme had been arrested in another rape case.
The third case involved a 33-year-old woman who was partying with Bonhomme and mutual friends at a downtown bar, and later at a home in Carpinteria.
The victim told detectives she passed out, and awoke to find herself partially disrobed and being sexually assaulted by Bonhomme.
Again, the victim initially was reluctant to report the assault, but did so after learning about the other arrests.
Bonhomme was re-arrested at County Jail on July 3.
All the victims were referred to the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center for counseling, Harwood said.
Anyone with knowledge of these or other crimes is being asked to contact Detective Brian Larson at 805.897.2345 or blarson@sbpd.com.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.