The owner of an upscale Italian restaurant in La Jolla’s Bird Rock neighborhood was jailed Wednesday following his arrest on suspicion of 18 felony charges, including two counts of raping an unconscious victim, four counts of sexual battery on a restrained person and five counts of administering a controlled substance by force.
Daniel Dorado, 59, was being held in the San Diego Central Jail in lieu of $900,000 bail, according to jail records. He was booked just after 3 p.m. following his arrest by the San Diego Police Department.
Dorado is the owner of Voce Del Mare, a fine-dining restaurant and wine bar in the 5700 block of La Jolla Boulevard, according to the business’s website.
10News reported that around 11 a.m. Wednesday, law enforcement personnel descended on the upscale eatery, using yellow crime scene tape to block off the patio and entrance to the restaurant, which typically opens from 5 to 9 p.m. on week nights. Voce Del Mare did not open for business Wednesday night, the television station reported.
A woman who spoke to 10News anonymously claimed that she went to the restaurant three years ago for a job interview in which Dorado offered her a glass of wine. She said the next thing she remembers after drinking the wine was waking up naked several hours later feeling that Dorado, who was also naked, had drugged and assaulted her.
The anonymous woman said she reported the incident to police at the time, but they declined to press charges because of a lack of evidence.
An SDPD watch commander Thursday morning said he had no information about the case and referred questions to personnel from the department’s sex crime unit, who were not immediately available.
In addition to the other charges, Dorado was also being held on suspicion of sex with a foreign object while the victim is unaware, two counts of oral copulation on an unconscious victim and assault with intent to commit a felony.
— City News Service
