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| ‘He Took Out a Little Black Vial.’ Then 3 Women Foiled Man’s Attempt to Drug Date, Police Say | ‘He Took Out a Little Black Vial.’ Then 3 Women Foiled Man’s Attempt to Drug Date, Police Say |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| It was happy hour at Fig, an upscale restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif., and three friends were enjoying lively conversation and a platter of charcuterie when an odd expression fell across the face of one of the women. | It was happy hour at Fig, an upscale restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif., and three friends were enjoying lively conversation and a platter of charcuterie when an odd expression fell across the face of one of the women. |
| “That guy just put something in her drink,” Monica Kenyon told her friends, staring at another diner. | “That guy just put something in her drink,” Monica Kenyon told her friends, staring at another diner. |
| And so it began, a narrative of crime-stopping that lit up social media after it was described in detail on Facebook: How Ms. Kenyon and the other women on May 26 foiled what they thought was a stranger’s plan to drug and possibly rape his date. | And so it began, a narrative of crime-stopping that lit up social media after it was described in detail on Facebook: How Ms. Kenyon and the other women on May 26 foiled what they thought was a stranger’s plan to drug and possibly rape his date. |
| On Tuesday, the man, Michael Hsu, 24, was charged with two felonies: administering a drug and assault with intent to commit a sex crime, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. | On Tuesday, the man, Michael Hsu, 24, was charged with two felonies: administering a drug and assault with intent to commit a sex crime, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. |
| “GUESS WHO STOPPED A RAPE LAST NIGHT?! THESE GALS!” Sonia Ulrich, one of the women at the restaurant, wrote. | “GUESS WHO STOPPED A RAPE LAST NIGHT?! THESE GALS!” Sonia Ulrich, one of the women at the restaurant, wrote. |
| The account was accompanied by a photograph of Ms. Ulrich, Ms. Kenyon and Marla Saltzer posing in what looked like a scene from “Charlie’s Angels”: defensive crouch, arms outstretched and hands in karate-chopping or pistol-packing mode. | The account was accompanied by a photograph of Ms. Ulrich, Ms. Kenyon and Marla Saltzer posing in what looked like a scene from “Charlie’s Angels”: defensive crouch, arms outstretched and hands in karate-chopping or pistol-packing mode. |
| “Don’t roofie someone on our watch,” the photo caption reads, referring to the so-called date rape drug Rohypnol. | “Don’t roofie someone on our watch,” the photo caption reads, referring to the so-called date rape drug Rohypnol. |
| Ms. Ulrich wrote that while the photograph may seem to be making light of a heavy situation, “This is no joking matter.” | Ms. Ulrich wrote that while the photograph may seem to be making light of a heavy situation, “This is no joking matter.” |
| Indeed, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said a possible date-drugging case had been “thwarted by three good Samaritans.” | Indeed, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said a possible date-drugging case had been “thwarted by three good Samaritans.” |
| In recounting the events on Facebook, Ms. Ulrich said she and her companion, Ms. Kenyon, had gone with Ms. Saltzer to the restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel for happy hour. At one point, Ms. Ulrich noticed Ms. Kenyon “making a funny face.” | In recounting the events on Facebook, Ms. Ulrich said she and her companion, Ms. Kenyon, had gone with Ms. Saltzer to the restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel for happy hour. At one point, Ms. Ulrich noticed Ms. Kenyon “making a funny face.” |
| What had caught her attention? A man nearby had just slipped something into his companion’s drink, Ms. Ulrich wrote: | What had caught her attention? A man nearby had just slipped something into his companion’s drink, Ms. Ulrich wrote: |
| “He pulled her glass toward him, kind of awkwardly, then he took out a little black vial. He opened it up and dropped something in. Then he tried to play it cool, like checking his phone and hiding the vial in his hand and then trying to bring it back down slyly.” | “He pulled her glass toward him, kind of awkwardly, then he took out a little black vial. He opened it up and dropped something in. Then he tried to play it cool, like checking his phone and hiding the vial in his hand and then trying to bring it back down slyly.” |
| Ms. Ulrich continued: “Now, Fig is a nice restaurant. We were enjoying our charcuterie platter and some fancy cheeses. That type of place.” | Ms. Ulrich continued: “Now, Fig is a nice restaurant. We were enjoying our charcuterie platter and some fancy cheeses. That type of place.” |
| She wrote that the couple “had a bottle of wine they were splitting.” | She wrote that the couple “had a bottle of wine they were splitting.” |
| “It seemed like a first or second or third date,” she said. | “It seemed like a first or second or third date,” she said. |
| The man’s dinner companion had gone to the restroom. | The man’s dinner companion had gone to the restroom. |
| “After a few ‘Oh God. What do we do’s,’ I got up to find her in the bathroom to tell her. Warn her. Tell her to get up and leave this creep. Make him drink it. Something,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. | |
| She awkwardly loitered by the sinks in the bathroom, waiting to speak to the woman. “I approached: ‘Hey! Um, this is kind of weird, but, uh, we saw the guy you were with put something in your drink.’ ” | She awkwardly loitered by the sinks in the bathroom, waiting to speak to the woman. “I approached: ‘Hey! Um, this is kind of weird, but, uh, we saw the guy you were with put something in your drink.’ ” |
| “Oh, my God,” the woman replied. | “Oh, my God,” the woman replied. |
| Asked how well she knew the man, the woman said: “He’s one of my best friends.” They worked together and had known each other for more than a year. | Asked how well she knew the man, the woman said: “He’s one of my best friends.” They worked together and had known each other for more than a year. |
| Ms. Ulrich returned to her table, where she and the other women spoke to a server and others, and security was informed of what they had witnessed. The man apparently noticed Ms. Kenyon watching him, Ms. Ulrich wrote. It was not immediately clear on Wednesday what type of drug was allegedly used. | Ms. Ulrich returned to her table, where she and the other women spoke to a server and others, and security was informed of what they had witnessed. The man apparently noticed Ms. Kenyon watching him, Ms. Ulrich wrote. It was not immediately clear on Wednesday what type of drug was allegedly used. |
| Remarkably, the woman returning to the table, ordered sparkling water, and sat through 40 more minutes with her companion. The man tried “several times chinking his glass to hers to get her to drink,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. “She played it cool.” | Remarkably, the woman returning to the table, ordered sparkling water, and sat through 40 more minutes with her companion. The man tried “several times chinking his glass to hers to get her to drink,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. “She played it cool.” |
| When the couple finished dinner, the server told them that a computer problem was causing a delay with the bill. The extra time allowed the security workers to review video footage, and the police were called. | When the couple finished dinner, the server told them that a computer problem was causing a delay with the bill. The extra time allowed the security workers to review video footage, and the police were called. |
| Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department arrived and approached the man. “They say, ‘Come with us,’ and he doesn’t protest,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. “Doesn’t ask why. Doesn’t seem surprised.” The police took the woman’s glass as evidence. | Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department arrived and approached the man. “They say, ‘Come with us,’ and he doesn’t protest,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. “Doesn’t ask why. Doesn’t seem surprised.” The police took the woman’s glass as evidence. |
| “We asked the girl if she had a ride home,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. The woman replied: “‘My car is at his place. In his building. We came together.’” | “We asked the girl if she had a ride home,” Ms. Ulrich wrote. The woman replied: “‘My car is at his place. In his building. We came together.’” |
| In court Tuesday, Mr. Hsu pleaded not guilty, and his next court date is June 14, Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said in an email. The recommended bail of $1 million was reduced to $350,000 for Mr. Hsu, he said. | In court Tuesday, Mr. Hsu pleaded not guilty, and his next court date is June 14, Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said in an email. The recommended bail of $1 million was reduced to $350,000 for Mr. Hsu, he said. |
| If convicted, he would face a maximum of six years in state prison, the statement by the district attorney office said. The case remains under investigation, it said. | If convicted, he would face a maximum of six years in state prison, the statement by the district attorney office said. The case remains under investigation, it said. |