The woman who allegedly beat 91-year-old Rodolfo Rodriguez with a brick has been charged with attempted murder and elder abuse. According to The Root , the woman, who is identified as 30-year-old Laquisha Jones, beat Rodriguez on July 4 as he took his evening walk. She was arraigned on Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
Originally, Jones was slated to be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. But according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, the severity of Rodriguez’ injury and “the brutality of Jones’ attack” served to escalate the charges from assault with a deadly weapon to attempted murder and elder abuse.
“The defendant personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a brick, during the commission of the crime and…she committed great bodily injury upon the victim,” wrote the LACDA.
Rodriguez’ family reports that he “suffered two broken ribs, a broken jaw, broken cheekbones, and bruising throughout his face and body.” He is reportedly still recovering from his injuries.
The incident allegedly occurred when Rodriguez passed Jones while taking a walk. Allegedly, Rodriguez bumped into Jones’ toddler. Witnesses and police officials say that Jones then pushed Rodriguez down and began beating him with the concrete brick.
Misbel Borjas witnessed the attack. She says that Jones “repeatedly hit Rodriguez in the head with the cement block.”
“I heard her saying, go back to your country, go back to Mexico. When I tried to videotape her with my cell phone, she threw that same concrete block, tried to hit my car,” Borjas said when interviewed by CNN .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is looking into reports that there were four other people involved in the assault.
When asked about the attack, Rodriguez, who is currently at his daughter’s home recuperating, stated that he did not bump into Jones’ child at all. He states he passed her and Jones just pushed him and began attacking him. The sheriff’s department has said that it is not counting Jones’ attack as a “hate crime,” despite her yelling for him to “go back to Mexico.”
CNN reports that if convicted, Jones may face up to 29 years in prison. Since Jones was on probation for criminal threats in 2017, prosecutors are recommending bail be set to $1.25 million rather than the $200,000.
Despite the injuries he suffered, Rodriguez says that he “cannot condemn her.”
“She hurt me, but I cannot be an enemy. God forgive her for what she did to me,” Rodriguez said.
