A 91-year-old and an 85-year-old, one a man and one a woman, were found covered in blood on the floor of their Tucson home after police say their 44-year-old neighbor broke in late Thursday, October 22, beat them and drove off in their pickup truck. Henry Ernest Vega was arrested the following day in Casa Grande while still driving the stolen vehicle, according to investigators.
According to court documents cited by KOLD, Vega broke into the elderly couple's home late that night and assaulted the homeowners. The Tucson Police Department said the victims suffered serious injuries and had to be taken to the hospital. A witness reported seeing Vega come out of the home and leave in the victims' truck.
Victims Found Bloodied on the Floor
Court documents described the scene inside the home as grim, with the victims found covered in blood and on the floor when they were discovered, the station's report states. One victim suffered a soft-tissue cartilage fracture to his neck along with lacerations to his head and face, while the woman had a facial laceration that required stitches. Court documents also indicated the pair had significant injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma and possibly a knife attack.
Investigators later found several large rocks and a silver knife inside the home, according to the same account. Despite the presence of a knife at the scene, Vega claimed he only used his hands during the attack, though he did admit to choking the male victim.
Arrest Came a Day Later in Casa Grande
Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers caught up with Vega in Casa Grande the day after the break-in, taking him into custody while he was still behind the wheel of the victims' stolen pickup. He had blood on his clothes at the time of his arrest and admitted to attacking the victims and taking their truck, per the KOLD report.
Troopers searching the truck found the victims' wallets inside, even though the couple said they never kept their wallets in the vehicle, a discrepancy noted in the court documents but not otherwise explained. Vega is now facing charges of armed robbery, first-degree burglary and aggravated assault.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Arizona law, a person commits armed robbery if, while committing a robbery, the person or an accomplice takes one of several specific actions outlined in the statute. Arizona's first-degree burglary statute similarly applies when a person violates specified burglary provisions and knowingly possesses explosives, a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument in the course of committing any theft or any felony, according to the Arizona Legislature. Neither statute excerpt specifies which of Vega's alleged actions correspond to each charge.
As of Monday, Vega was being held on a $100,000 bond. It remains unclear whether he has entered a plea or retained an attorney, and no additional details about the victims' current medical conditions have been released.
