In November 2021, detectives in Los Angeles responded to a call that would unravel a disturbing pattern of alleged predation. A lifeless woman had been dropped off at Southern California Hospital by two masked men driving a black Prius without license plates—men who claimed they were "good Samaritans" simply trying to help someone they found "passed out on the curb." That woman was Christy Giles, 24, and she was dead from a drug overdose. Two hours later and just two miles away, another woman would be abandoned at a second hospital by the same two men in the same car. Hilda Marcela Cabrales, 26, was fighting for her life on a ventilator.
Background
Christy Giles was an adventurer—a high fashion model for Wilhelmina who had traveled the world before settling in Los Angeles to study interior design. She had married Jan Cilliers, a South African-born artist and photographer, just months earlier at Burning Man, where they impulsively decided to elope. Hilda Marcela Cabrales was a cum laude graduate of a prestigious university in Monterrey, Mexico, who had moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream job in interior design. The two women met in their design program and became close friends.
On the night of November 12, 2021, Christy and Hilda planned a girl's night out, starting at Soho House before heading to a warehouse party after midnight to see a favorite DJ. Christy's husband Jan Cilliers was out of town visiting his father. Using digital evidence from Christy's phone—including her last text messages to Hilda at 5:30 a.m. saying "let's go"—Cilliers tracked the women's locations to a residence at 8641 West Olympic Boulevard, the home of 39-year-old David Pearce.
Detectives Jonathan Vander Lee and Calvin You arrived at Pearce's apartment only hours after receiving calls from both hospitals. They found evidence that beds had been stripped, a washing machine recently used with wet clothing still inside, and a safe containing baggies that Pearce claimed were for "arts and crafts." Police discovered Pearce owned the black Prius matching the vehicle seen at both hospitals—plates that Vander Lee says he observed on the ground beside the car despite Pearce's claim they had been stolen.
The Investigation
The investigation revealed Christy and Hilda had met David Pearce, his roommate Brandt Osborn, 42, and their friend Michael Ansbach, 47, at the warehouse party. Surveillance footage showed all five leaving together around 5 a.m. on November 13, 2021. Police determined the women were taken to Pearce's apartment and remained there for approximately 11 hours before being dropped at separate hospitals more than 13 hours after their last text messages.
Christy's autopsy revealed she had ketamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and GHB—the so-called date rape drug—in her system. Hilda survived two weeks on life support before dying; her toxicology showed cocaine, MDMA/ecstasy, and elevated levels of fentanyl. A downstairs neighbor told police they heard someone "in pain and moaning on-and-off" for six hours while the women were inside that apartment. Neither Pearce, Osborn, nor Ansbach called for help.
Detective Calvin You recognized David Pearce from a prior 2020 investigation involving a 19-year-old sexual assault victim who reported being raped while unconscious after Pearce gave her drugs during a date. That case had not been prosecuted. Police also discovered another unprosecuted rape charge from 2014 against Pearce. According to detectives, Pearce's alleged pattern involved meeting women through dating apps or bars, lying about his profession—claiming falsely to be a "Hollywood producer" and doctor—and then drugging victims before sexually assaulting them.
On December 15, 2021, David Pearce, Brandt Osborn, and Michael Ansbach were arrested in connection with the deaths. Detectives conducted recorded interviews, finding that Pearce made suspicious statements about "a very bad batch of fentanyl"—information that had not been publicly released about how the women died. Two months after his arrest, Ansbach reached out to police with details, claiming Pearce offered the women a ride before insisting they stay for a drink containing what he called "special cocaine."
The Trial
On January 9, 2025, opening arguments began in Los Angeles County Superior Court. David Pearce is charged with felony murder, while Brandt Osborn faces charges as an accessory after the fact. Prosecutors allege that Pearce knowingly gave Hilda and Christy GHB and fentanyl, "knowing that it was dangerous to their lives, knowing that it could kill them, but he just didn't care."
Survivors of alleged prior attacks by Pearce came forward at prosecutors' request following District Attorney George Gascon's public appeal for other victims to contact law enforcement. One woman, identified in court as Jane Doe No. 2 and referred to during testimony as "Jackie," testified that she met Pearce socially and accepted a drink he offered her. "It tasted really funny," Jackie said. "And then I don't remember the next several hours after that." She described herself not as a survivor but as "a fighter" who chose to speak publicly about what happened to her.
Key Takeaways
- Christy Giles, 24, and Hilda Marcela Cabrales, 26, were drugged at David Pearce's apartment on November 13, 2021, after meeting him at a warehouse party
- Both women were abandoned at separate Los Angeles hospitals by masked men in a black Prius without license plates—11 hours apart
- Christy died from acute drug intoxication; Hilda survived two weeks on life support before her family made the difficult decision to donate her organs
- Police discovered Pearce had prior unprosecuted sexual assault allegations dating back to 2014 and 2020
- Three men were arrested December 15, 2021: David Pearce, Brandt Osborn, and Michael Ansbach
- Survivors of alleged prior attacks by Pearce came forward to testify at trial following a public appeal from prosecutors
What's Next
David Pearce's trial continues in Los Angeles County Superior Court as more survivors are expected to take the stand. Prosecutors are presenting evidence of what they describe as Pearce's pattern of allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting women over multiple years. The case faces challenges typical of drug-facilitated sexual assault prosecutions, where victims' impairment can complicate proving criminal intent. Defense attorneys have not yet presented their case. A date for a potential verdict has not been set.