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Coroner's office classifies deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola homicides

CBS News Los Angeles: The Rundown (April 4 PM Edition) 02:57

The deaths of a model and her friend who were dumped outside separate hospitals last year have been officially classified as homicides by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, with toxicology reports finding multiple drugs present in both victims' systems.

RELATED: Authorities Investigating Circumstances Around Death Of LA Model Christy Giles

According to the coroner's office, model Christy Giles died of a mixture of cocaine, fentanyl, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and ketamine, while Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola died of multiple organ failure with cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) and other undetermined drugs found in her system.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid is also known as the "date rape drug," according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

Giles, a 24-year-old model and aspiring actress, and Cabrales-Arzola, 26, were last seen at an apartment in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood before their bodies were dumped -- Giles outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City and Cabrales-Arzola outside Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Hospital.

Giles was already dead when she was found outside the hospital on Nov. 13. Cabrales-Arzola, an architect, was alive but in critical condition, but her family took her off life support later that month, a day before her 27th birthday.

Giles' mother, Dusty, wrote on Facebook over the weekend that she hoped the coroner's findings will lead to criminal charges being filed over the women's deaths.

"While we her family all along knew and felt strongly our baby was murdered, it is now officially listed as her cause of death!" Dusty Giles posted. "With this our prayers are the L.A. County D.A.'s Office will move quickly and swiftly on re-arresting ALL parties involved and this time PRESS THE CHARGES! Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers."

Three men were initially arrested in connection with the deaths, but none have yet been charged in the case. 

RELATED: Suspect In Christy Giles Case Charged With Multiple Counts Of Rape

David Brian Pearce, 39, of Beverly Hills, was arrested in December and remains in custody on charges stemming from alleged attacks on other women. Pearce was charged Dec. 17 with two counts each of forcible rape and one count each of rape of an unconscious or asleep person and sexual penetration by a foreign object stemming from alleged attacks against other women in August 2010, February 2019, February 2020 and October 2020.

Two other men, Michael Ansbach, 47, and Brandt Osborn, 42, were each booked on suspicion of being an accessory to manslaughter in connection with the deaths of Giles and Cabrales-Arzola, but were later released from custody while the investigation continued.

An investigation into the three men's connection to Giles and Cabrales-Arzola's deaths was ongoing, according to the LAPD. 

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