Homeless 75-Year-Old Woman Beaten Unconscious, Sexually Assaulted At California Church Parking Lot, Accused Arrested

A man in California beat an elderly homeless woman and sexually assaulted her after she fell unconscious. The incident took place in the parking lot of a church on April 30 and the accused was charged with attempted murder on Thursday (May 7).

In a press release, Orange County District Attorney said the accused, identified as 24-year-old Fernando Valdovinos, first beat the 75-year-old woman unconscious. He then sexually assaulted her before dragging her into nearby bushes and stealing her car. The woman was still unconscious when she was found the following morning. On May 2, the accused was taken into custody after the police saw him driving the woman’s car.

“Valdovinos has been charged with one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of sexual penetration by foreign object and force, one felony count of attempted forcible rape, and one felony count of carjacking. Valdovinos has also been charged with two felony enhancements of causing great bodily injury on an elder, one felony enhancement of attempted premeditated murder, and one felony enhancement of inflicting great bodily injury during the commission of certain sex offenses,” the press release said.

If the accused is found guilty of all counts, he could face life in prison. He was being held at the Orange County Jail without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned on May 20, 2020.

Speaking about the case, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, “The depravity with which this heinous attack was carried out demonstrates just how vulnerable the homeless population – and especially homeless women – is to violence. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is committed to getting justice for this woman who shouldn’t have been living on the streets and couldn’t fend for herself. No one should be forced to endure that kind of viciousness.”

The incident comes a month after an elderly woman was raped and then choked to death by a man in South Carolina. Margaret Alice Karr, 89, was found dead at her home and following investigation, 21-year-old Thomas James Chapman was arrested. Investigation revealed that the accused broke into the woman’s home through a back window and raped her in her bedroom before choking her to death. He then fled the scene with the money he stole from the woman’s home.