Felon Gets 9 Years for Attempted Robbery of Woman He Met at Police Station
Felon Gets 9 Years for Attempted Robbery of Woman He Met at Police Station
by Contributing Editor
A 48-year-old sex offender with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison for attempting to rob a woman he had just met outside the Santa Ana police station.
Apolonio Alcala pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in a plea bargain with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of two felony counts of kidnapping to commit a sex offense and attempted forcible rape, according to court records. He has about 535 days credit for time served in custody.
Alcala’s criminal complaint filed in February alleged a lengthy criminal record of convictions in Riverside, Los Angeles and Sacramento counties.
He pleaded guilty to robbery in Orange County in October 2011 and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He pleaded guilty to theft with a prior conviction and burglary in April 1993 in Orange County and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, according to court records.
Alcala was at the Santa Ana police station Feb. 12 to register as a sex offender, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
The victim, who had just visited her son in the jail, saw him outside the police station, where he appeared to be “distraught,” Bertagna said.
“He was visibly shaking and he asked her for help,” Bertagna said. “He told her he was diabetic and needed a ride to the hospital because he was in bad shape.”
The woman led him to her car and began driving. About a minute later, the defendant “put his hand on her hand and said, `Look, I’m not going to hurt you, but we’re not going to the hospital. Go where I tell you,” Bertagna alleged.
He was accused of demanding sex and money, Bertagna said.
That prompted the woman to drive erratically, running a red light at Sixth Street and Ross Avenue and pulling into a construction site at a high rate of speed before slamming on the brakes, he said.
Alcala scrambled to get out of the car and fled, Bertagna said.
The woman told her son what happened and he alerted jail guards, he said.
Police reviewed surveillance video outside the police station and arrested Alcala, he said.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
