DEL MAR — A man dubbed the “Del Mar Rapist” for a series of attacks committed in the 1990s was denied a bid for parole on Wednesday.
Robert Dean Rustad, 49, is serving a 326-years-to-life prison sentence for raping seven women between 1992 and 1996, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, which said many of the victims were threatened at knifepoint and tied up.
Rustad pleaded guilty to three dozen criminal counts and was sentenced in 1997.
But a change in state law regarding youthful offenders allowed Rustad to come up for parole early, as a person’s age at the time of the offenses must now be considered, according to the DA’s Office. Rustad was between 19 and 22 years old at the time of the rapes.
He was last denied parole in 2020. At that time, he was denied release for five years, but was granted a request to advance his next parole hearing.
Parole officials denied Rustad’s parole request on Wednesday and he will not be up for consideration for another three years.
“Two of this rapist’s victims were at the hearing today and justice was served because the panel sees this inmate is still not being truthful about his true motivation for these crimes,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement.
According to Stephan’s office, Rustad said he sought a “girlfriend-type relationship” as his explanation for his actions.
“His motivation was clearly sadistic and his inability to accept that continues to make him a serious threat to society,” Stephan said.
