‘Go back to Mexico’: Arrest made in brutal beating of 92-year-old man – By Brittny Mejia (latimes.com) / July 11 2018
LOS ANGELES — Authorities have arrested a woman alleged to be involved in the assault of a 92-year-old man on the Fourth of July.
Detectives arrested Laquisha Jones at 10 p.m. Tuesday, near 60th Street and Crenshaw Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Jones, 30, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon.
Rodolfo Rodriguez had gone out for a walk in Willowbrook about 7 p.m. July 4 when he was assaulted, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by his family. Rodriguez has a broken cheekbone and bruises on his face.
His family told KTLA that a woman confronted Rodriguez after he reportedly bumped into a little girl who was with her. Rodriguez was then struck from behind and “as he fell on the ground, he blacked out,” according to Det. Matt Luna, with the LASD.
Misbel Borjas, who lives near Rodriguez, was passing by in a car when she saw Rodriguez walking and trying to pass a woman and a girl. Then, Borjas said, she saw the woman push Rodriguez and start to hit him with a block of cement.
“She was yelling at him, ‘Go back to your country,’ or ‘Go back to Mexico,’” Borjas recalled. “It was racist.”
Borjas was able to snap a photo of the woman, who began to walk away. Borjas said as she was on the phone with 911, a few men returned to assault Rodriguez while he was on the ground.
Investigators are still determining if there are more people involved, according to the LASD. The investigation is ongoing and a motive for the assault “is unknown at this time,” the LASD stated. A weapon has not been located.
Rodriguez was released from the hospital to recover at home with his family, according to the LASD.
“Detectives began an extensive investigation into the assault. They obtained an arrest and search warrant for a suspect,” the department said in a statement. “Due to working every angle and lead in the case, it ultimately resulted in the arrest.”
Jones is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the department’s homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.
“We want to thank the local residents for all of their kindness and support while Mr. Rodriguez recovers,” the LASD said.
