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Woman warns others as attacker nears prison release
Shira Scott Astrof and an LAPD detective are warning women about Matthew Werner as he is set to be released from prison Oct. 10.
LOS ANGELES - For more than a decade, Shira Scott Astrof has fought to keep the man who attacked her behind bars. Now, with his release date approaching, she is speaking out alongside one of the LAPD detectives who worked to build the case against him.
"He is violent. He is emboldened. He does not think that laws apply to him," Astrof said.
The backstory:
Astrof says she met Matthew Werner on a dating app in 2015. She says he wasn't who he claimed to be, posing as a professional soccer player. When they met in person, she says, he seemed nice at first, then turned violent.
"He just became this violent monster," Astrof said. "Choked me, dislocated my shoulder... was so violent, broke me."
LAPD Detective Brent Hopkins, who investigated the case, says Astrof wasn't the only one who came forward.
"We had five victims at one point," Hopkins said.
Over time, Hopkins says, those women dropped out of the case one by one, until Astrof was the only one left willing to testify.
"I demanded he plead guilty to my rape. That was my non-negotiable," Astrof said. "I was assured... apparently, he pled guilty to sexual battery and assault."
Werner took a plea deal in 2023. He was sentenced to time served, plus a four-year prison term that was suspended, as long as he stayed out of trouble. He didn't.
"This is someone who repeatedly violated the terms of his probation," Hopkins said, adding that Werner was still using social media to contact women in violation of his probation.
Werner violated his probation multiple times, landing back in custody more than once. In February, a judge ordered him into state prison to serve that original four-year sentence.
What they're saying:
Astrof says she's since learned Werner is set to be released Oct. 10, only months into that sentence.
"Because our prisons are so overcrowded, they reduce inmate sentences by over 50%, which is insane," Astrof said.
Both Astrof and Hopkins are warning women to be careful if they ever come across Werner.
"This is someone who planned his assaults, who preyed upon his victims, established trust with them, and then violently betrayed that trust," Hopkins said.
FOX 11 reached out to Werner's attorney for comment. We did not hear back.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office issued the following statement:
"Matthew Werner violated the terms of his probation numerous times over the course of his probationary period. Beginning in 2024, our office filed three different probation violation motions requesting the court impose the 4-year suspended state prison sentence. Finally, in February of this year, a judge agreed that enough was enough and imposed that sentence. We understand it may be difficult for his victims to know he will likely be released before completing the full four years of his original suspended sentence, but he will not walk away free. He remains a registered sex offender, subject to strict parole conditions and ongoing supervision, and any further violation could subject him to additional state prison time. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will keep fighting for victims of sexual assault, in this case and in every case."
What's next:
Astrof says she believes Werner will reoffend once released. She's making a direct plea to other women who came forward years ago and later dropped out of the case.
"I implore every woman who has been assaulted by this man to now come forward, reclaim their power, show him that we are not letting him out," she said.
She believes their testimony could still keep Werner behind bars long-term.