Overview
- Jose Bernal was taken into custody Thursday morning nearly a year after the alleged November 2024 assault, according to Santa Ana police.
- Investigators say he met the woman at BMB Multiservices near 17th Street and Grand in Santa Ana, where he presented himself as an attorney.
- Police report he demanded $14,000 for immigration services and offered a discount if she entered a relationship; when she refused, he allegedly raped her in the office.
- Authorities say he later offered $400 and a reduced fee for her silence, and investigators believe there may be additional victims.
- A man identifying himself as Bernal’s brother said he worked there as a paralegal, but searches show no record of him as a licensed paralegal or attorney, and the business declined comment.