In the early hours of Saturday morning, at approximately 5.50 a.m., a 19-year-old woman woke up after hearing sounds in her home. She lived in the 27500 block of Sierra Highway in Santa Clarita, California. She went into her living room in order to see what was causing the noise when she saw a man. According to her report, she told him to leave, but he struck her in the face. He grabbed her and told her that she was going to be raped, but she started screaming for help and fighting back as he was dragging her to her bedroom. Due to the fact that she fought back, she was able to startle the suspect into releasing his grip on her for enough time to allow her to escape her apartment and run for help.
The Sherriff’s investigators arrested 34-year-old A.M. in Saugus and he was booked for burglary and attempted rape. He is in jail on a $100,000 bail and the woman is in hospital being treated for minor injuries. Since A.M. not only attempted to rape the victim but also broke into her home, he is facing two very serious charges. Although burglary is often used synonymously with theft, this is not the only definition of this crime.
The California Penal Code §458-464 defines burglary as entering a home, room, warehouse, store, etc. with the intention of committing theft or any felony. In this case, the suspect entered an inhabited dwelling with the intention of committing a felony: rape. If he is convicted of first degree burglary, he could be sent to state prison for up to six years. Under California law, you can be convicted of attempting to commit a crime if you specifically intended to commit it and acted in ways which directly furthered the commission of the crime. Our team at Martinian & Associates has handled cases involving burglary, rape, and much more. Even if your case seems hopeless, our team could help to protect you and fight for your freedom.
