A 67-year-old lady was assaulted over the weekend while working in her East Los Angeles yard, and police are still searching for the suspect. Rosalina Martinez, a resident of the 1000 block of Fraser Avenue, was allegedly attacked from behind at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, as reported by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. According to her son-in-law, she was attacked viciously and at random while she was clearing off a spiderweb in her front yard.
Thankfully, nearby witnesses rushed to rescue Martinez and put an end to the abuse, all while filming the assailant. “If they hadn’t stepped in, we would be talking about Rosalina Martinez’s death,” said Gilberto Carrillo, Rosalina’s son-in-law. Security photos of 21-year-old attack suspect Sergio Andrew Garcia were released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Suspect Garcia suddenly approached the victim from behind, pulled her hair, and threw her to the ground,” the sheriff’s office said. Detectives said that after Garcia repeatedly punched Martinez in the face, he was astonished when bystanders yelled at him to stop.
The tweet below verifies the news:
21-year-old man brutally beats, tries to sexually assault 67-year-old woman in East Los Angeles https://t.co/Ru3E6Nyln3
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) July 19, 2023
The suspect “proceeded to punch the victim in the face two additional times” before “escape[ing] the location on a black bicycle,” according to the sheriff’s statement. According to deputies, he also attempted s*xual assault on the 67-year-old victim. According to the investigation, Garcia has a history of assaults and battery.
Police in Los Angeles said he attacked a second woman later that day. According to Deputy Miguel Meza, “the two crimes are very similar in that the person approached his victims,” which led detectives to conclude that the same person was responsible for both attacks. As many have said before me, “He is a dangerous person.“
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Martinez was hospitalized for two days after suffering a broken nose and a concussion. She also has no ability to open her eyes. Despite Martinez’s long history with the area, he has recently developed a fear of venturing outside on his own. Even while homicides and severe assaults are on the decline in L.A. County, many in her area are still worried that a repeat performance is imminent.
“I like to go out to the front yard and do gardening too,” Norma Milligan, a neighbor, said. I’m so nervous about going out today.” Garcia is roughly 180 pounds and 5 feet, 5 inches tall.
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