Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office
STUART, Fla. - An illegal immigrant from Venezuela is facing attempted murder charges after deputies say he attacked and tried to drown a woman walking on a Florida beach.
What we know:
It happened around 11 p.m. Thursday night into early Friday morning.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was walking along Tiger Shore Beach and talking on the phone with a relative when Said Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez, 26, came up from behind, struck her, pushed her into the water, and tried to drown her.
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The victim told investigators that she lost consciousness during the violent struggle.
Deputies said that when Hernandez Gonzalez believed that the victim was dead, he threw her phone into the ocean and walked away.
Dig deeper:
When the victim regained consciousness, investigators said she walked more than a mile to Stuart Beach and found a deputy.
Deputies said they canvassed the area for two days, reviewed camera footage, searched for witnesses, and monitored the beach for a potential suspect.
On Sunday night, police from Port St. Lucie called deputies and told them that they had responded to a call involving a suicidal man who claimed he murdered a woman on a Martin County beach.
Hernandez Gonzalez told investigators that he was at the beach and saw the woman alone.
Detectives said he made statements indicating she made him angry, so he attacked her and drowned her, but stopped when he believed she was dead.
Afterward, he told investigators that he went to his vehicle, smoked marijuana, drank vodka, and left the scene.
When asked if he was remorseful, investigators said Hernandez Gonzalez stated he felt nothing.
Hernandez Gonzalez has been charged with attempted murder and is being held at the Martin County Jail. Immigration authorities have placed an ICE detainer on him.
The Source: This article was written with information posted on social media by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.