A 38-year-old man made his first appearance in court Thursday on charges of sexual assaults on two incapacitated women in Santa Ana.
Nicolas Mercado was charged Aug. 28 with rape by use of drugs and sexual penetration with an intoxicating substance used on the victim, both felonies. He’s accused of raping one woman on Oct. 13, 2022, and the other victim on Feb. 3 of last year, according to the criminal complaint.
Messages requesting more details from the District Attorney’s Office or police department on the case were not immediately returned.
The Santa Ana resident, who was arrested Tuesday, did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance in the jail courtroom. He is due back at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Feb. 11 for arraignment.