Crime

Husband of Christy Giles Speaks Out After 3 Arrests Made in Her Case: 'Just the Beginning of the Battle'

Three men have been charged in the suspicious deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, LAPD announced on Thursday

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Published on December 17, 2021 01:14 AM

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Jan Cilliers, husband of model Christy Giles, is speaking out about his wife's death after the Los Angeles Police Department announced that they had made three arrests in connection to the case on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Cilliers described how he felt upon hearing the news that detectives had made arrests in his wife's case a month after the model and her friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola went to an afterparty and never came home.

"I sighed a sigh of relief," he tells PEOPLE. "But I also understand that this is just the beginning of the battle. There's going to be a lot of stuff to get through in order to get these guys in prison."

Cilliers, 41, tells PEOPLE that since Giles' death he is facing a life without his wife in it "moment by moment," but he's "helping wherever I can" and will "do whatever I can to help Christy get some justice."

"I know that I have to be strong, and I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that my wife gets the justice she deserves, even though no amount of justice is ever going to bring her back to life, and she's still going to be gone," he says. "But hopefully, it stops these guys from doing anything else to any other woman."

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Cilliers and his wife's family, along with the LAPD, believe there may be more possible victims out there.

"We definitely think that there are other victims out there. And we'd love for them to come forward and just add their voices to this case, to help get these guys off the street," he tells PEOPLE. "And that stops these guys from being able to victimize any other woman."

The visual effects artist says he has no doubt that what happened to his wife and her friend is a horrible crime, "they tried to leave. And they called an Uber. And whatever happened in the following 12 hours, left them dead."

Christy Giles, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. Christy Giles/Instagram; GoFundMe

Cilliers has been left to imagine what his beloved partner's final moments were, '[I think] they were in a lot of pain. And they were very scared. And it breaks my heart."

But in contrast to the darkness of those thoughts, he has lots of favorite memories of the woman who "knew how to live in the moment", was her friend's biggest defender, and radiated love.

Cilliers and Giles were married for two-and-a-half years after first meeting at an art gallery where they were introduced by a mutual friend.

Their friendship turned to something more when they had their first date on Valentine's Day in 2019 and, then around six months later, they eloped.

"I've never felt love so deeply, and I doubt I ever will again. She's a really incredible, incredible human," Cilliers says.

The LAPD announced the arrests of David Pearce, 37, Michael Ansbach, 47, and Brandt Osborn, 42, per a news release on Thursday. Pearce is charged with manslaughter, and Ansbach and Osborn are both charged with accessory to manslaughter after Giles and her friend, designer Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, were dropped off unconscious at separate hospitals in the Los Angeles area on Nov. 13

Giles was pronounced dead at the scene, and Cabrales-Arzola was found in critical condition. She was pronounced dead on Nov. 24

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Police say that Giles and Cabrales-Arzola were both given drugs and overdosed at a residence on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. The suspects then drove the victims to two hospitals in a black Toyota Prius with no license plates, according to the news release.

"Based on the investigation, the LAPD is concerned that there could be other victims in our community who could have been drugged by one or more of these men," the news release stated.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Giles and Cabrales-Arzola to cover the costs for private investigators, funeral, and memorial costs.

Anyone with information is urged to contact LAPD West Bureau Homicide at (213) 382-9470.

During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).

Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips" under the Get Involved-Crime Stoppers" menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the "P3 Tips" mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.