A 37-year-old man, Miguel Angel Landa, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the unprovoked attack on an elderly victim in San Mateo County. In an incident occurring in August, Landa was found guilty of assaulting a 78-year-old man who waited for a grocery store to open while seated in his car. The San Mateo County District Attorney's office reported that Landa pled guilty and was prosecuted by their Elder Abuse prosecution unit.
In August, Miguel Angel Landa (37) violently & without provocation attacked a 78-yr old male who was sitting in a car, waiting for a grocery store to open. Landa was arrested by @RedwoodCityPD & pled guilty today for 8 yrs prison, prosecuted by our Elder Abuse prosecution unit. pic.twitter.com/PROxuRAmoO
— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) December 10, 2024
Following his apprehension by the Redwood City Police Department, Landa admitted to believing his victim was a nonagenarian. The incident formed part of a series of attacks in Redwood City on the same day. Early in the morning, authorities were dispatched to Broadway in response to reports of a man violently assaulting a customer in their car, according to Hoodline.
An additional assault happened just 20 minutes later at County Center, where Landa engaged in another unprovoked physical confrontation. Despite an initial search, the assailant briefly escaped law enforcement attention.
Only during the afternoon was Landa arrested on Middlefield Road, matching the witness descriptions from earlier incidents. Credited for a quick response, the Redwood City Police Department disclosed that Landa faced multiple charges, including Battery and Willful Injury to an Elder, and was also found to violate parole. After his arrest, he was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility.
