Former resident arrested for 6 sexual assaults dating back to 1995
A former resident of the Coachella Valley was arrested in relation to a series of violent sexual assaults in San Diego and Riverside County dating back to 1995.
46-year-old Christopher VanBuskirk was arrested on April 29 at his current home in Goodyear, Arizona following an investigation involving the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, and Phoenix Police Department.
DNA evidence linked VanBuskirk to six violent sexual assault cases from August 1995 to November 2004 in the Coachella Valley and San Diego, according to a news release from RSO.
According to police, four of those assaults happened in San Diego between August 18 and November 17, 1995. The two other sexual assaults occurred in March 2002 and November 2004 in the Coachella Valley.
In all six cases, police said the suspect sexually assaulted his victims at knifepoint.
VanBuskirk was booked into the Maricopa County Jail in Arizona and extradited to San Diego on May 6 to face charges from the 1995 cases. According to jail records, he is being held on $5 million bail.
Palm Desert Station Investigators said they will coordinate with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for charges against VanBuskirk for the two sexual assaults that occurred in Riverside County.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department believes VanBuskirk resided in the Coachella Valley between late 2001 to 2005.
Investigators ask that anyone with information related to these investigations call their dedicated hotline at 760-836-1660, or email at PDinvestigations@riversidesheriff.org.
