A man allegedly beat an elderly woman and then allegedly pulled her pants and underwear down July 15 in the east area of Los Angeles, police said, according to KTLA.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said 67-year-old Rosalina Martinez was working on her garden, when the suspect allegedly attacked her, according to KTLA. The alleged attacker, suspected to be in his 30s, allegedly repeatedly punched Martinez. The man then allegedly pulled down her pants and underwear. (RELATED: Major Study On Campus Sex Assault Debunked)
A passerby from the neighborhood reportedly scared the suspect away as he allegedly pulled her pants down, according to Fox 11. The alleged suspect reportedly fled the scene by taking a nearby bicycle, per KTLA.
Rosalina Martinez said she was cleaning in front of her home when she was grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. https://t.co/2KLEMHT4k0
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) July 18, 2023
“She could have been dead, she could have been killed,” Martinez’s son-in-law Gilberto Carrillo, said, according to NBC.
“When we found her, she was pretty much semi-naked. I’m just thankful the neighbors intervened and prevented it from going any further.”
Local authorities are asking the public for help searching for the suspect and to call the Sheriff’s Department to report any new information about the case.