Woman Charged With Attempted Murder After Allegedly Beating 92-Year-Old With Brick

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA)  -- Authorities said a 30-year-old woman was charged Thursday with attempted murder after she allegedly beat a 92-year-old man in Willowbrook with a brick last week.

The LA County District Attorney's Office says Laquisha Jones of Los Angeles has been charged with two counts. In addition to attempted murder Jones was also charged with elder abuse, infliction of injury.

The defendant was arraigned Thursday in Superior Court.

Prosecutors asked that bail be set at $1.125 million.

The felony complaint includes special allegations that the defendant personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a brick, during the commission of the crime and that she committed great bodily injury upon the victim, identified as Rodolfo Rodriguez.

The victim was visiting the US from his native Mexico.

The charging document alleges that Jones was previously convicted of making criminal threats in 2017. CBS2's Cristy Fajardo reported from the Compton courtroom and said Jones was on probation for this case.

Deputy DA Frank Dunnick of the Victim Impact Program is assigned to the case.

Prosecutors said on the evening of July 4, Jones allegedly attacked the elderly man with a brick near 118th and Robin streets in Willowbrook.

Following the reported assault, the victim was taken to the hospital for medical treatment and Jones allegedly fled the scene, according to prosecutors.

After conducting further investigation, law enforcement identified Jones as the alleged assailant and arrested her on July 10.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 29 years in state prison.

The victim reportedly suffered a broken cheekbone, broken ribs, bruises and lacerations on his face. Rodriguez doesn't speak English. But he told his family he was walking down the street when he bumped into a little girl as he tried to walk around her.

The suspect, believed to be the girl's mother, allegedly threw Rodriguez to the ground and starting hitting him with her fists, and then the brick. A witness also said she heard the suspect tell the victim to "Go back to your country."

In court Thursday, Jones entered a not guilty plea and avoided being seen by TV cameras.

On Thursday, the victim's family announced they were being represented by the Carillo Law Firm.

"Mr. Rodriguez is slowly recovering from this senseless and brutal assault," attorney Luis Carillo said. "His family is appreciative of the community's outpouring of support and concern about his condition. The family has been inundated with media requests and is asking for a brief reprieve as they try to get back to a sense of normalcy. As soon as Mr. Rodriguez and his relatives are ready to share their story, we will make them available to the media."

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the victim. A $15,000 goal was quickly reached. Current total: $314,172 at this writing with more than 11,595 people donating.

The case is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Jones is due back in court on July 26th.