A Florida woman is recovering after what authorities described as a violent, late-night ambush on a Martin County beach.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said the woman had been walking along Tiger Shores Beach around 11 p.m. Thursday when the attack unfolded.
Her husband dialed 911 after hearing chilling details from the victim’s sister, who had been on the phone with her at the time.
“Her sister said it sounded like she was fighting with someone. And then the phone went dead,” the husband said. “They’ve been calling her for the past five minutes. She’s not responding.”
The husband told dispatchers he was rushing to her last known location near Stuart Beach.
Deputies soon located the woman on the shoreline. Budensiek said she was “wet with bruising on the side of her neck, bruising on the side of her face, and they started trying to piece together what had taken place.”
Investigators believe the woman was walking alone when she was blindsided from behind.
“She was hit first, grabbed around the throat, drug into the ocean, and then held down as she struggled to break free from this individual,” Budensiek said.
Authorities identified the suspect as Said Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez. He was arrested Sunday after deputies said he threatened to kill himself.
According to the sheriff, Hernandez Gonzalez offered no clear motive.
“For some unknown reason, he went into a rage, went and smacked the phone out of her hand, realized he’d gone too far, pulled her into the ocean, and started trying to drown her,” Budensiek said.
Investigators said Hernandez Gonzalez admitted he only ended the assault when he believed the woman had died.
Budensiek said deputies later informed Hernandez Gonzalez that the victim survived and questioned whether he felt remorse.
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“His response was, ‘No, I don’t feel nothing,’” Budensiek said.
Hernandez Gonzalez faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder. He is being held without bond at the Martin County Jail.
Budensiek said Hernandez Gonzalez is in the country illegally and is also being detained for immigration authorities. The victim’s condition has not been publicly detailed, but authorities said she is expected to recover as the criminal case moves forward.
