Former LA Detective Arrested Again After Three Decades; Cold Case Review Uncovers Paroled Offender

Authorities arrested Michael Douglas Brambles, 77, this week on charges of kidnapping to commit robbery while armed with a firearm, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Brambles, a former Los Angeles vice detective sentenced to 102 years in prison three decades ago for multiple sexual assaults and armed robberies, had been released on parole in 2020 under a California statute allowing elderly inmates to seek early release.

The new allegations stem from an incident at Arabella’s Boutique in Thousand Oaks, where Brambles allegedly confronted a woman as she was closing the business. Authorities say he pointed a handgun at her, forced her into a back room, bound her hands, sexually assaulted her, and stole merchandise before fleeing the location.

Investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office discovered Brambles had been paroled while reviewing the case as part of a federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. The victim, identified in court documents as SW, expressed shock at learning Brambles had been free for six years after serving only a fraction of his original sentence.

The district attorney’s office cited aggravating circumstances including the violent nature of the alleged crime, the victim’s vulnerability, evidence of planning, and Brambles’ demonstrated danger to society. Sexual assault charges cannot be filed because the statute of limitations has expired, though Brambles faces a maximum penalty of 12 years to life if convicted on the current charges. He is being held on $2 million bail.