A convicted burglar was charged Tuesday with forcing his way into the home of an elderly woman in Stanton and attempting to sexually assault her.
Alex Elfidio Quinonez, 24, was charged with assault with the intent to commit a sex offense during a burglary and sexual battery, both felonies. Quinonez's arraignment on Tuesday was rescheduled for March 27.
Orange County sheriff's deputies were called to the victim's home about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Quinonez is accused of knocking on her front door and attempting to sexually assault her when she answered, Braun said.
The woman told investigators she bit the suspect multiple times as she struggled to defend herself, drawing the attention of her husband and several neighbors who heard the struggle, Braun said.
The suspect was detained until deputies could arrive to arrest him, Braun said.
Quinonez was on probation at the time. He pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to a felony count of burglary and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary tools, according to court records. He was sentenced to 156 days in jail and placed on three years of probation.
