MOUNTAIN VIEW — A barber who is currently on the lam after being charged with drugging and sexually assaulting unconscious men has now been tied to more than two dozen additional cases, and authorities are urging his victims to seek medical attention after confirming he is HIV positive.
Franklin Enrique Sarceno Orla, 34, of Mountain View, is a fugitive sought by Santa Clara County authorities after he reportedly skipped bail and fled the area after being charged with sexually assaulting unconscious men who may have been drugged or kidnapped in Mountain View over the past year. Police believe there are many more victims tied to the defendant. (Santa Clara Co. District Attorney’s Office)
In a 33-page amended criminal complaint filed this week, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged Franklin Enrique Sarceno Orla, 34, with 51 additional felony charges and four more misdemeanor charges covering sexual assault and battery, kidnapping, robbery, and dissuading a witness.
Among the charges are 18 felony counts accusing Sarceno Orla of drugging his victims and four felony counts of assaulting an unconscious victim, according to the complaint.
Sarceno Orla was charged in August with assaulting two men — both of whom reported being unconscious at some point during their time with him — and was released after posting $250,000 bail. After he did not appear at an Oct. 29 court hearing, authorities widely publicized the case in hopes of getting tips about his whereabouts. It is generally believed that the has fled the region.
The charged assaults cover a timeline spanning January 2018 to July 2024, which was shortly before he was arrested.
According to prosecutors and Mountain View police, Sarceno Orla drew attention from law enforcement after a man told police that he woke up injured and woozy after having drinks with the defendant in July.
Investigators later confirmed through forensic testing that the man had been sexually assaulted, and evidence surfaced indicating that the victim was taken to another location. That investigation also revealed another victim addressed in the initial charges, who told police that he lost consciousness while drinking beers in February with Sarceno Orla, who he identified as his barber operating out of his own home.
Authorities also reported that an examination of Sarceno Orla’s electronic devices yielded evidence suggesting that he assaulted at least 20 men dating back to 2018 and that he recorded video of some of the acts.
