MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A 26-year-old man who deputies said is in the country illegally faces an attempted first-degree murder charge after investigators said he randomly attacked a woman along a beach in Martin County last week.
Sheriff John Budensiek shared details of the incident during a Monday afternoon news conference, calling the situation "extremely alarming."
Investigators said the victim was walking along Tiger Shores Beach and talking on the phone with a relative at about 11 p.m. Thursday into early Friday morning.
According to the woman, the attacker came up from behind, struck her, pushed her into the ocean and attempted to drown her. The sheriff said the fight lasted for about 3-5 minutes.
"During that struggle, she punched him, she grabbed his groin area trying to get him to release her," Budensiek said.
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During the violent struggle, the sheriff said the woman eventually lost consciousness.
Believing the victim was dead, deputies said the suspect grabbed her phone and threw it into the ocean before walking away. When the victim regained consciousness, investigators said she walked more than a mile to Stuart Beach, where she located a deputy.
"For two days, deputies canvassed the area, reviewed camera footage, searched for witnesses, and monitored the beach for a potential suspect," according to a post on the sheriff's office Facebook page.
Suspect Located Days after Attack
Then on Sunday night, Port St. Lucie police responded to a call involving a man who was suicidal. Police contacted the Martin County Sheriff's Office after investigators said the individual claimed he had killed a woman on a beach in Martin County.
Martin County detectives spoke with the man, identified as Said Alexander Hernandez-Gonzalez, who they determined was a suspect in the attack.
The sheriff's office said Hernandez-Gonzalez told officers he was at the beach and saw the woman alone.
"He made statements indicating she made him angry, so he attacked her and drowned her. He stopped when he believed she was dead. He then went to his vehicle, smoked marijuana, drank vodka, and left the scene," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. "When asked if he was remorseful, Hernandez-Gonzalez stated he felt nothing."
Budensiek said Hernandez-Gonzalez, a native of Venezuela, faces a charge of attempted murder and is being held at the Martin County Jail.
The suspect entered the U.S. on a work visa that had expired, according to the sheriff. Immigration authorities have placed an ICE detainer on the man.
