It was a shocking crime which occurred in Thousand Oaks some three decades ago. An armed man walked into a boutique, and sexually assaulted and robbed the owner.
"In 1994, I was brutally victimized. It turns out I was not his only victim. When he was sentenced in Los Angeles County to 102 years in prison for his attacks on other victims, I believed he would spend the rest of his life in prison," said S.W. We’re only identifying the survivor by her initials.
Michael Douglas Brables committed a series of similar crimes in Los Angeles, leading to his arrest and conviction. He was convicted of 18 armed robberies, and multiple sexual assaults. Not only was he a serial armed robber and sexual predator, he had been an LAPD detective. He was with the department for more than two decades, retiring arond the time the crime spree started.
With Brambles getting a 102 year sentence, S.W. felt like she could try to get some normalcy back in her life. "For that reason, I was willing to agree that his case in Ventura County be dismissed, because I believed justice had been served," said S.W.
But, a few months ago, she got stunning news.
"I was shocked to hear that not only was this man was free, but he had been out of prison for six years. The justice I and his other victims deserved was denied," said S.W.
How did Brambles get released from prison after only serving about a quarter of his sentence?
"In 2018, a new California law granted prison inmates who had served 25 years of continuous incarceration and were over the age of 60 the opportunity to seek elder parole," said Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasaranko. "He was granted parole in 2020."
Now, there's a new push by Ventura County law enforcement agencies to get justice for S.W. There's a new case against him for the 1994 crimes in Thousand Oaks.
"We are here to announce an arrest in the case that happened more than three decades ago. Justice does not have an expiration date," said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.
Even though the decision was made not to prosecute Brambles in Ventura County back in the 1990's because he'd already been convicted and sentenced in Los Angeles County, investigators saved some key evidence from the Thousand Oaks crimes.
Advanced DNA testing turned up evidence which played a key role in this week’s arrest of Brambles at his home in Santa Maria.
S.W. said she welcomes the chance to see justice done for the crimes she endured.
"I am thankful to have this opportunity to now seek justice for myself, and for his other victims," said S.W.
Nasarenko said due to the statute of limitations, they can’t prosecte the now 77-year-old man for the sexual assault. But, he’s facing a kidnapping charge, with some related enhancements. Brambles hasn’t entered pleas to the new charges he’s facing.
