LOS ANGELES, CA – A Los Angeles woman who spent years pursuing accountability against a man she says violently attacked her after they met through a dating app is warning other women as his expected release from state prison approaches.
Shira Scott Astrof says she met Matthew Werner online in 2015 after he presented himself as a professional soccer player.
According to Astrof, what initially appeared to be an ordinary dating-app encounter became a violent assault after the two met in person.
“He just became this violent monster,” Astrof said, describing being choked, suffering a dislocated shoulder and being physically overpowered during the attack.
Werner later pleaded guilty to sexual battery and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with Astrof’s case, according to information reviewed about the prosecution.
Now, more than a decade after the 2015 assault, Astrof says she has been told Werner is expected to be released from prison on Oct. 10.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has separately acknowledged that Werner is likely to be released before serving the entirety of the four-year prison sentence imposed earlier this year.
The precise Oct. 10 release date was not independently confirmed in the public California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation materials reviewed for this article.
LAPD previously sought other women who encountered Werner
Astrof’s allegations were not the only ones investigated by Los Angeles police.
In April 2023, the Los Angeles Police Department publicly announced it was searching for additional victims after investigators arrested Werner on suspicion of a series of sexual assaults dating back to 2015.
LAPD’s Operations-West Bureau Special Assault Section said detectives had identified five women whom investigators believed Werner assaulted within the City of Los Angeles and believed there could be additional unreported victims.
Police said Werner appeared to target women through social media and dating applications while using various aliases to avoid detection.
At the time of his February 2023 arrest, LAPD described him as a Las Vegas resident originally from Massachusetts.
Those details provide official support for part of the pattern Astrof has described publicly: women allegedly encountered Werner online, sometimes through dating platforms, before investigators began connecting separate reports.
Detective says five women were once part of investigation
LAPD Detective Brent Hopkins, who worked on the investigation, said there were once five victims involved in the case.
“We had five victims at one point,” Hopkins said.
According to Hopkins, the number of women willing to remain involved in the prosecution eventually declined until Astrof was the only one prepared to testify.
That experience is one reason she is speaking publicly now.
Astrof says she wants other women who may have encountered Werner — including those who previously spoke with investigators but later withdrew — to reconsider coming forward.
“I implore every woman who has been assaulted by this man to now come forward, reclaim their power,” she said.
Whether additional reports at this stage could change Werner’s current release date would depend on the facts of any allegation, applicable statutes, available evidence and prosecutorial decisions.
There has been no official announcement that a new case has been filed.
Werner reached plea agreement in 2023
Werner resolved the criminal case involving Astrof through a plea agreement in 2023.
According to the information provided, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and assault with a deadly weapon.
Astrof said she had wanted a guilty plea specifically acknowledging rape and was disappointed with the ultimate resolution.
“I demanded he plead guilty to my rape. That was my non-negotiable,” she said. “I was assured … apparently, he pled guilty to sexual battery and assault.”
Under the disposition, Werner received credit for time already served and a four-year state prison sentence that was suspended, meaning he would not have to serve the prison term as long as he complied with the conditions imposed on him.
That did not happen.
Prosecutors say Werner repeatedly violated probation
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says Werner violated the terms of his probation numerous times.
According to the office, prosecutors began trying in 2024 to persuade the court to impose the previously suspended four-year state prison sentence.
The District Attorney’s Office said it filed three separate probation violation motions seeking that result.
The office maintains a dedicated Probation Violation Unit responsible for matters involving alleged violations of court-ordered probation.
In Werner’s case, prosecutors say repeated violations ultimately led a judge to impose the prison sentence in February 2026.
The District Attorney’s Office characterized the ruling as the point at which the court agreed that Werner’s repeated conduct could no longer be handled through continued probation.
Detective says Werner continued contacting women
Hopkins said Werner continued using social media to contact women despite restrictions imposed as part of his supervision.
“This is someone who repeatedly violated the terms of his probation,” Hopkins said.
The detective described Werner as someone who planned his conduct and first developed trust with women.
“This is someone who planned his assaults, who preyed upon his victims, established trust with them, and then violently betrayed that trust,” Hopkins said.
That warning closely resembles the concerns LAPD raised when Werner was arrested in 2023.
In its official release at the time, LAPD said investigators believed Werner used dating applications and social media while operating under multiple aliases.
The department took the unusual step of publicly releasing information about Werner because detectives believed additional women may not yet have reported their experiences.
Astrof questions why release could come so quickly
Astrof said she was alarmed when she learned Werner could be released only months after being sent to state prison to serve the four-year term.
“Because our prisons are so overcrowded, they reduce inmate sentences by over 50%, which is insane,” she said.
That is Astrof’s characterization of why the release is occurring.
Public CDCR information explains that California prisoners serving determinate sentences can receive an Earliest Possible Release Date based on the sentence imposed minus applicable credits.
However, the public materials reviewed do not establish exactly which credits were applied to Werner, how his prior custody time was calculated or whether overcrowding itself caused his expected Oct. 10 release.
It would therefore be inaccurate to attribute Werner’s release date specifically to prison overcrowding without additional documentation from CDCR.
The state’s sentencing system allows applicable custody and programming credits to affect release calculations, and time previously spent in custody can also matter depending on the sentence and court orders.
District Attorney says office fought to keep him incarcerated
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says it understands why the expected release is difficult for Werner’s victims.
In a statement, prosecutors emphasized that they repeatedly sought imposition of the four-year sentence after probation violations and finally secured that result in February.
The office also stressed that Werner will not simply be released without supervision.
According to prosecutors, he remains subject to sex-offender registration requirements and strict parole conditions.
California’s official parole rules confirm that people released from state prison who are subject to parole must comply with both general and any individually imposed special conditions of parole.
Those special conditions can be based on the commitment offense and criminal history and may be imposed by a court, parole officials or the Board of Parole Hearings.
Sex-offender parole brings specialized supervision
CDCR maintains a specialized Sex Offender Management Program for parolees required to register as sex offenders.
The program combines enhanced supervision, specialized treatment, polygraph examinations and victim advocacy.
According to CDCR, parolees who must register under California’s sex-offender laws are supervised under that program.
The state can also use residency restrictions and other individualized parole conditions depending on the person and applicable law.
California’s parole system additionally uses specialized caseloads for sex offenders rather than supervising every released prisoner in the same way.
That means Werner’s expected release from prison does not end government supervision.
It changes the setting from incarceration to supervision in the community, subject to whatever specific conditions are imposed in his case.
GPS monitoring may also apply
California law provides for electronic monitoring of sex offenders released on parole in circumstances covered by the state’s registration and parole statutes.
CDCR says a person required to register as a sex offender as a condition of parole must report to a parole agent shortly after release for placement of a GPS device under applicable law.
The department describes GPS as a tool allowing parole agents to monitor locations and enforce conditions such as curfews and orders to stay away from victims or specific places.
CDCR’s current operations manual also describes GPS supervision requirements for parolees convicted of registerable sex offenses under qualifying statutes.
Whether every provision applies to Werner specifically depends on his convictions and parole classification.
The District Attorney’s Office has said he will face strict supervision after release but has not publicly provided his individualized parole terms.
Registration remains required
California law separately requires people convicted of qualifying sex offenses to register with local law enforcement.
CDCR explains that adult registration is now organized into tiers generally requiring registration for 10 years, 20 years or life, depending on the offense and applicable law.
The District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that Werner will remain a registered sex offender after his release.
The office has not publicly stated his registration tier in the information provided.
CDCR also says sex offenders released to parole can face specialized supervision intended to help authorities monitor behavior and respond to violations.
Another violation could return Werner to custody
Prosecutors emphasized that Werner’s release does not eliminate consequences if he violates parole.
The District Attorney’s Office said any future violation could result in additional state prison time.
Parole conditions can include general requirements applicable to supervised people as well as restrictions tailored to a particular person’s criminal history.
Parole agents can also use enhanced supervision when someone is considered to require closer monitoring.
The exact response to any alleged future violation would depend on its nature and the applicable legal process.
Astrof says she fears another woman could be harmed
For Astrof, those safeguards have not eliminated her concern.
“He is violent. He is emboldened. He does not think that laws apply to him,” she said.
She believes Werner could again target women after his release and says that fear is motivating her to speak publicly.
Her assessment is her own view as a victim and is not a prediction that authorities can establish as fact.
What official records do establish is that LAPD investigators previously believed Werner was connected with multiple women and specifically sought additional potential victims.
They also establish that investigators believed social media and dating applications were part of his method of meeting women.
That history explains why Astrof and Hopkins are directing much of their warning toward women who meet people online.
Dating apps were central to original investigation
LAPD’s 2023 notice did not portray Werner’s case as an assault arising from a single chance encounter.
Detectives said he appeared to use various aliases and online platforms while targeting women.
That alleged use of false identities can make it difficult for potential victims to connect their experiences or realize that other women may have encountered the same person.
It was one reason police released Werner’s photograph during the earlier investigation.
LAPD said investigators believed additional sexual assaults may never have been reported.
The department asked anyone with information about Werner or additional incidents to contact its Special Assault Section.
Special Assault Section handles investigations involving sexual violence
LAPD’s Special Assault Section investigates serious sexual offenses and has repeatedly used public appeals to locate additional victims when detectives believe one person may be connected to multiple incidents.
Detective Hopkins has served as a supervisor in that unit.
In other investigations, LAPD has similarly asked people who may have been victimized to come forward even after a suspect was already arrested, stressing that additional reports can help investigators understand the full scope of alleged conduct.
That investigative strategy is particularly relevant in cases in which victims may initially be reluctant to report sexual violence.
Why some victims stop participating can be complicated
Hopkins said four of the five women identified during the Werner investigation eventually stopped participating in the prosecution.
Officials have not publicly described each woman’s reasons.
Sexual assault cases can place substantial demands on victims, including repeated interviews, court appearances and the prospect of testifying publicly about traumatic experiences.
Those general realities should not be used to speculate about why any particular woman withdrew.
Astrof has simply said that she continued when others no longer did.
She now hopes some of those women will contact authorities again.
New allegations would require new evidence
Astrof believes additional women coming forward could potentially keep Werner incarcerated longer.
Whether that occurs cannot be predicted.
A person reporting a previously undisclosed assault would need to provide information to law enforcement, and investigators would evaluate the allegation.
Prosecutors would then have to determine whether evidence supports a new criminal filing and whether the case is legally prosecutable.
A prior accusation or Werner’s existing conviction would not automatically establish guilt in another alleged incident.
The LAPD’s 2023 public appeal remains significant because the department itself said investigators believed there could be unidentified victims.
Victims can receive case and release-related assistance
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office operates a Bureau of Victim Services that assists victims of violent crime, including sexual assault survivors.
Services include crisis intervention, counseling referrals, court assistance, case-status notifications and help with restitution.
The program is available regardless of immigration status and does not require that a criminal case ultimately be filed.
The Bureau of Victim Services can be reached at 800-380-3811.
CDCR also maintains victim services related to sentencing, incarceration and parole, including information about the status of incarcerated people and the parole process.
Release from prison does not erase conviction
One point emphasized by prosecutors is that Werner’s expected release should not be confused with the underlying conviction disappearing.
He remains convicted of the offenses resolved through his plea.
He will also remain subject to registration and whatever parole conditions CDCR imposes.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said it will continue pursuing violations if Werner fails to comply after release.
The office’s statement reflects the distinction between the length of incarceration and the continuing legal restrictions that can follow a sex-offense conviction.
Exact October release calculation remains unclear publicly
There is still an important piece of information that has not been publicly explained in detail: precisely how the expected Oct. 10 date was calculated.
California’s official rules recognize that prisoners serving fixed terms can have an Earliest Possible Release Date based on the sentence imposed less applicable credits.
But the public information reviewed for Werner does not itemize:
- his total pre-sentence custody credit;
- the credits earned after entering state prison;
- the exact date CDCR began calculating the four-year term;
- or the specific statutory provisions affecting his projected release.
For that reason, attributing the date solely to prison overcrowding would go beyond what official records currently support.
The District Attorney’s Office itself has focused instead on the fact that he is likely to serve less than the full suspended four-year term and will remain supervised after release.
Astrof continues pushing for other women to speak
Astrof says the approaching release has revived the urgency she felt when pursuing the original case.
She spent years continuing to cooperate with investigators even as other women withdrew.
Now she wants anyone else who believes Werner assaulted them to contact authorities.
Her message is not only aimed at women previously known to detectives but also at anyone who may recognize him from dating applications, social media or an alias.
That possibility was part of LAPD’s concern from the beginning.
When police publicly sought additional victims in 2023, investigators said Werner used dating and social platforms and believed other assaults could have gone unreported.
Anyone with information concerning possible additional victims can contact the LAPD Operations-West Bureau Special Assault Section at 213-473-0447, the number identified by police in their public appeal.
Outside normal business hours, LAPD can be reached at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).
Anonymous information can be provided through Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
For survivors seeking confidential support rather than making a police report, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Werner’s expected release date is approaching, but the legal consequences of the case will continue beyond prison.
According to prosecutors, he will remain a registered sex offender under parole supervision, while Astrof continues urging women who may have information about past encounters with him to come forward.
