Man Arrested For Carjacking, Sexually Assaulting 75-Year-Old Woman In Tustin, Leaving Her For Dead

TUSTIN (CBSLA) – A Santa Ana man was taken into custody Saturday on allegations that he carjacked and sexually assaulted a 75-year-old woman in Tustin, and then left her for dead in some bushes until she was found 14 hours later. She is in critical condition.

Fernando Valdovinos, 24, was arrested on multiple charges including attempted murder, attempted rape, carjacking and elder abuse.

According to Tustin police, at 10:30 a.m. Friday officers were called to the 600 block of West 6th Street, where they discovered the elderly woman laying in some bushes near a parking lot, partially naked, with extensive facial injuries. They also discovered she had been sexually assaulted.

She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where she was in critical condition as of Monday.

Officers learned that at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the victim was assaulted and carjacked by Valdovinos in that same parking lot, police said. However, she was not discovered until 14 hours later, Friday morning, when the officers were dispatched to her location.

Police also report that Valdovinos was accompanied by a 16-year-old girl during the carjacking, but not the violent assault.

At about 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, an officer spotted three people driving in the victim's stolen car and pulled it over. Inside the car were Valdovinos, the teen female suspect and a third man who is not believed to have been involved in the violent attack. He was later released.

The teen girl was charged with carjacking and conspiracy, police said.

Valdovinos was already on probation for auto theft when he was arrested, while the teen girl was on probation for robbery.

Police did not disclose a motive in the attack or confirm whether Valdovinos was known to the victim prior to it.

Valdovinos is scheduled to make an appearance at 10 a.m. Tuesday for a probation violation allegation.

Anyone with information on the case should call detectives at 714-573-3249.