A Castaic 19-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of rape returned to court on Wednesday, receiving a future date to appear before a judge once again.
The suspect, Andrew Pennington, was arrested on Sept. 30 on the allegation that he had drugged and sexually assaulted a coworker at a Stevenson Ranch home on Aug. 4.
He is scheduled to return to court once again on Feb. 23 for a prelim setting. During a prelim setting, the judge and opposing counsels agree on a date for a preliminary hearing — when the bench decides if there’s enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
The Castaic man’s arrest stems from a report filed by the victim on Aug. 12 at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. The victim reported her belief that on Aug. 4, at a home on the 25000 block of Shaw Place, Pennington had used a combination of drugs and alcohol to assault her.
The suspect and the victim worked together at a restaurant in the Santa Clarita Valley, according to Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Special Victims Unit.
Sheriff’s Department officials indicated Pennington was released from custody last year on $200,000 bail.
