UKIAH, CA., 2/17/26 – A Willits man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Ukiah after posing as an Uber driver to lure her into his vehicle last year, police said Tuesday.
Bruce Edwards, a 38-year-old Willits resident, was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a Ukiah woman and for secretly recording videos of an unclothed minor for his own sexual gratification.
According to the Ukiah Police Department, on Sept. 1, 2025, a 34-year-old Ukiah woman was swimming in the Russian River and decided to walk home afterward. A vehicle pulled up beside her, and she believed it was an Uber her husband had ordered to take her home. The woman got into the vehicle, and the man inside said his name was Bruce and said he was an Uber driver.
Edwards allegedly began driving the woman toward her home but then drove past her street and took her to Riverside Park at the east end of Gobbi Street. There, he allegedly assaulted her by ripping off her dress and placing his hands and mouth on her breasts, police said.
The woman yelled at him to stop, but Edwards continued forcing sexual contact. The victim managed to escape, made it home, and told her husband about the assault. The couple then reported the assault to local authorities.
The victim was taken by ambulance to the Adventist Health Ukiah Valley hospital, where she was given a sexual assault forensic exam and was treated for minor injuries.
Ukiah police detectives looked for witnesses and surveillance footage but did not find any leads.
Near the end of January, the California Department of Justice released the results of the sexual assault forensic exam, which found that DNA from the alleged assault matched a suspect identified as Edwards.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Edwards’ home, electronic devices, and vehicle, as well as to collect another DNA sample. During the search of Edwards’ electronic devices, detectives found various videos of an unclothed minor. Edwards then confessed to secretly recording the 17-year-old girl for his sexual gratification. The minor was the daughter of his adult roommate, police said.
On Wednesday, Edwards was arrested in Ukiah and booked into Mendocino County Jail. Edwards was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, sexual battery by force, sexual penetration with a foreign object, unauthorized recording for sexual gratification, and aggravated kidnapping. His bail is set at $1,000,000.
Thank you for warning us. Pictures of the monster would help