PALMDALE – If you recognize the man in this sketch, then Palmdale detectives would like to hear from you. They say the sketch represents a 50 to 60-year-old Hispanic male with a light complexion and light colored or hazel eyes.
Palmdale detectives say the man viciously beat and tried to rape a 74-year-old woman in September.
The following is the news release from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station:
On Sunday, September 11, at about 3:00 p.m., a 74 year-old woman was sitting at a bus stop outside of Vallarta Supermarket on 18th Street East and Palmdale Blvd. The suspect was parked in the Antelope Valley Bank parking lot when he called the victim over to his vehicle and persuaded her to accept a ride home.
While driving the victim towards her residence, he began making advances towards victim. When the victim refused, he drove the victim to a closed business complex near 3rd Street East and Avenue P, where he attempted to sexually assault her in the vehicle.
When the victim would not get out of the vehicle the suspect began beating the victim with closed fists and a blunt object.
The victim began screaming at which point the suspect fled the location in his vehicle leaving the victim with severe injuries to both her jaw and head injuries.
Unfamiliar with her surroundings and scared of her attacker returning, the victim concealed her injuries and boarded a nearby bus heading towards her home.
The victim then walked approximately a mile from where the bus dropped her off to her home where she described the violent encounter to her family.
Working with detectives, the victim recalled details about the suspect’s vehicle, which is described as a wine colored older model Toyota single cab pickup. The vehicle had two bucket seats in the cab instead of a bench.
The suspect is described as a 50 to 60 year old Hispanic male with a light complexion and light colored eyes (possibly hazel).
The Palmdale Station has released a sketch of the suspect as well as photos of a vehicle similar to the one of the attacker. Detectives are asking anyone who recognizes the individual, or has any information about the case, to contact detective Gillis at 661-272-2412.
You can also contact the department anonymously through “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
Stinger says
My nom de plume is accurate in that my remark seems to have stung you, ‘Miranda.’ So much so, in fact, that you spent your post in trying to sting back instead of addressing the challenge of whether the east side of Palmdale would compare favorably against the east side of Lancaster.
Again, nice try. ;)
Doc Rivers says
The Eastside is fine and we know the Mall drive Palmdale’s crime numbers which is the price we pay for being the regional retail hub.I say the sheriff Dept. is doing a great job and Palmdale is safer today than it has been for many years.
S. Parker says
East side Palmdale is a hot bed for criminal activity, but breaking West Palmdale away will only make things worse for the upstanding citizens living in the east side. How about Palmdale leaders stop pumping money into the west side and tackle the crime, gangs and thugs on the east side instead?
William says
Why is the east side a hot bed for criminal activity? That question should be looked into first. Is the city really ‘pumping’ more into west side to fight crime or is the west side naturally less crime infested in the first place. I don’t know but it seems that you are assuming those things.
The crime map in the AV Press usually shows fewer incidents in the west side. That might be due to increased patrols or fewer criminals. The west side is newer than the near east and central Palmdale. That might be a variable as well.
John Mlynar says
Money is not “pumped” into the west side or east side. Money in public safety is used to prevent, deter and confront crime all across the city. There are patrols, sweeps, Neighborhood Watch & Business Watch groups all across Palmdale.
Rosamond_resident says
It seems like Palmdale has so much more crime than it used to even though most of it is on the east side. The city leaders need to get their act together and do something! Having a mall and a bunch of nice restaurants around it doesn’t mean squat if nobody will go to them out of fear!
Maybe West Palmdale should break off from the rest of the city and form its own city. If I lived there I would be actively trying to make that happen!
John Mlynar says
Dear “Rosamond Resident” –
Palmdale’s crime rate has been going down steadily for years. The crimes per 10 thousand residents at year end for 2010 was 274, down from down from 294 the prior year. 300 crimes per 10,000 residents is considered a benchmark for ‘safe’ communities. Is there crime in Palmdale? Yes. Is their crime in Lancaster and unincorporated LA? Yes. But it has been going down. With the State of California in its infinite “wisdom” now dumping parolees back on the streets, it will be difficult for the entire AV to keep those numbers down. (Thank you, State of California.) It will require even more input and involvement from residents through Neighborhood Watch, Business Watch and Park Watch programs, in addition to current efforts by the cities and sheriff department.
William says
As a side note, whenever there has been vandalism as one of the local schools, I wonder why they don’t have motion detector lighting systems and surveillance cameras, etc. It would be cheaper than repairing the damage. Heck, they sell that stuff at COSTCO for residential use.
Surveillance cameras, with warning signs, placed at every business on Palmdale Blvd. would help. But, i suspect that criminals would simply look elsewhere such as my relatively safe neighborhood. I wonder if some parts of any city are sacrificed to protect other parts, the way a lizard will sacrifice its tail to keep on going. I don’t think the city leaders of Palmdale are doing that deliberately but it might just be the nature of how and where crime happens. Doesn’t Mayor Leford live on the east side? I don’t think he would be behind better enforcment for the west side at the expense of his neighborhood.
All in all, I feel that Palmdale is doing well fighting crime as opposed to the questionable practices of the Lancaster leaders.
josh.roberts says
Yeah but you gotta go to LANCASTER to go to Costco. OOOOPS!!!!!!! didn’t think of that did ya?
John Mlynar says
You don’t HAVE to go to Costco. Nothing wrong with going there, but you don’t HAVE to go there. You can go to Sam’s Club. Or Super Target. There’s a lot of choices out there. ;)
Miranda says
umm..have you been to the eastside of Palmdale lately? IT LOOKS LIKE TJ NOW! And I say that as someone who has a Mexican-American mom! that whole area between Pearblossom Hwy and S and from 25th E. to 40th E. looks like one big pile of crap! and what makes me sad is that my parents originally bought there because it was supposed to be a planned community for people who wanted a nice and safe place to live while being close to the 14 to commute to LA & back. Now its full of gangs and section 8 renters and there have been muggings at the CVS and food 4 less. If we wanted to live like that we would have just stayed in the San fernando valley!!!!!! It was such a beautiful location up against the foothills, easy access to the 14, nice wide streets and everything and Jim Ledford let it go to crap by letting them build too many tract houses and letting the housing market cheapen!!!! Thanks Jim!!!!!!!
Stinger says
Nice try, ‘Miranda.’ I’d be willing to compare East Side Palmdale favorably against East Side Lancaster any day of the week.
Thanks, Jim, indeed!
Miranda says
why did you put quote marks around my name? like you think you know who I am? you don’t know me! go kick rocks!
“stinger” the wannabe scorpion! watch out, “stinger” will sting you! lololololol!!!!!!!!!!!!