A 68-year-old woman was just taking a walk outside her home in Garden Grove when she was attacked by a man, who also attempted to rape her.
The attack happened on September 10. The elderly woman was taken to the hospital after the attack, where she died 11 days after the incident.
A witness alerted authorities and the responding officers arrested the suspect at the scene. Michael Valera, 30, also from Garden Grove, was charged with attempted rape and murder of the 68-year-old victim.
A photo of the suspect was also released by the Garden Grove Police Department on September 13.
It is not yet clear what injuries the victim sustained from the attack, and how such contributed to her death in the hospital 11 days after the incident. The authorities have not given a detailed narration on how the suspect attacked the elderly victim.
Valera was charged at first with attempted murder and assault with attempt to rape, but is now facing a special circumstance of murder during the commission of the attempted rape. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Thursday.
The arraignment for the case is set on October 13.
Valera faces life sentence without the possibility of parole if convicted.
There are no details on the condition of the victim when she was taken to the hospital, or if she’s suffering from any health condition that may have been aggravated by the attack.
No motive on the part of the attacker was established, neither was it clarified if he was suffering from any mental issues, or if he were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident that he attempted to sexually assault and physically hurt an elderly woman more than twice his age.
Source:
http://ktla.com/2017/09/28/garden-grove-man-charged-with-attempted-rape-murder-of-68-year-old-woman/
