Woman Charged with Assaulting Vietnam Veteran

Vietnam Memorial (Associated Press)
Associated Press

While employees and customers simply stood and watched, a 27-year-old woman allegedly attacked an elderly Vietnam veteran inside a Fresno AutoZone store.

The robbery attempt and assault, which started outside the store, continued inside the tore, and concluded outside the store, and was almost wholly captured on the store’s surveillance video system, leading to the woman’s arrest on Friday, according to the Fresno Bee.

According to police, Victor Bejarano, 73, was walking into the AutoZone store on October 10 when Shvonna Alexander accosted him, demanding he give up his wallet. When he refused, she assaulted him, frequently putting him in a headlock and following him into the store with a continued assault while others simply observed the fracas. Alexander only left when a witness told her outside that police had been called.

After the store publicly released the video, Crime Stoppers tips triggered her arrest when a subsequent incident involving police caused her to say, “I was just defending myself from that old man.”

Alexander has been charged with felony attempted robbery and felony elder abuse. She is scheduled to be arraigned today in Fresno County Superior Court. She could be sentenced to four years in prison.

Alexander is no stranger to police; she pleaded no contest to misdemeanor theft in June 2014. Released on probation, she was instructed to enroll in a theft-diversion program and ordered to stay away from Vons stores. In 2010, she was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma for various burglaries; she was also charged with uttering a forged instrument and possessing a stolen vehicle. She was listed as 5’4”, 165 pounds.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.