A late-night wait for the bus turned violent near Hill Avenue and East Colorado Boulevard on Tuesday when an 86-year-old woman was suddenly attacked at the stop, according to police. Witnesses told officers the assailant struck the woman in the face, shoved her to the ground and slammed her head onto the pavement before bystanders rushed in to help. The victim declined to be taken to a hospital, and officers later arrested a 26-year-old Pasadena woman who was positively identified by the victim. Authorities say she faces counts of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.
Officers were flagged down at about 11:56 p.m. Tuesday after pedestrians reported the assault, Pasadena Now reports. Lieutenant Thomas Blanchard told the outlet the suspect came up behind the victim, grabbed her and then hit her. The woman suffered a one-inch cut to her nose, a small cut on her chin and several hematomas on the back of her head. While bystanders stayed with the victim, the attacker allegedly ran off eastbound on Colorado Boulevard. Officers canvassed the area, located the suspect and took her into custody. According to Pasadena Now, police booked the unnamed woman on elder-abuse and assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charges, even though investigators said no weapon was involved and only bodily force was used.
Charges and what they mean
The suspect was booked on elder-abuse and assault-with-a-deadly-weapon counts, both of which can carry prison terms in California. Penal Code § 368 makes it a crime to willfully inflict physical harm on an elder, defined as anyone 65 or older, with stiffer penalties if the victim suffers great bodily injury. Penal Code § 245 applies to assaults with a deadly weapon or by means likely to produce great bodily injury. Full legal language is available at Penal Code § 368 and Penal Code § 245.
How to report and where to get help
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241. The City of Pasadena’s Elderly and Dependent Adult Liaisons (PEDAL) program maintains elder-safety resources and hotlines, and anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at lacrimestoppers.org. For more on local elder-safety efforts, visit the City’s PEDAL page at City of Pasadena PEDAL.
