Frank Stronach, former owner of Santa Anita Park, arrested for sexual assault – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Austrian-Canadian billionaire and former Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach, seen during national elections in Vienna, Austria, in 2013, has been accused of sexual assault dating to the 1980s. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, file)

TORONTO — Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire and former Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach has been arrested on sexual assault charges spanning decades, police said.

The 91-year-old man was charged Friday with five crimes, including rape, indecent assault of a woman, sexual assault and false imprisonment, Peel Regional Police said. He was released on conditions and will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, Ont., at a later date, the police statement said.

Peel Regional Police Constable Tyler Bell said there was more than one accuser, but declined to say how many.

“This is obviously a high-profile case. Our Special Victims Unit is required to protect victims and in doing so, that is why we remain vague,” Bell said. “There is more than one victim but we will not confirm this number yet.”

Police allege the sexual assaults occurred between the 1980s and up to 2023. Bell said she is calling on people to come forward if they have information or were victims.

Stronach, a three-time Eclipse Award-winning thoroughbred owner, purchased Santa Anita Park in Arcadia for $127 million from Meditrust Cos. in 1998. He later founded The Stronach Group, a horse racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel betting technology company, with his daughter Belinda in 2011, but resigned two years later to run for office in his native Austria .

Stronach no longer plays a role within the Stronach Group, which still counts Santa Anita among the racetracks it owns. He filed a lawsuit in 2018 against his daughter and members of her family, alleging mismanagement. The lawsuit was settled in 2020, with Stronach and his wife becoming owners of a stallion and breeding business. Belinda Stronach, who renamed The Stronach Group 1/ST, retained full control of all horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets.