NewsCalifornia News

Actions

California sexual assault suspect dies after beating

Police LIghts (FILE)
Posted
and last updated

VENTURA, Calif. — (AP) — Authorities say a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman walking her dog near a Ventura beach has died afer he was beaten by people who may have come from a nearby homeless encampment.

Ventura police say 31-year-old Jose Mendez of Ventura died Monday. He'd been hospitalized since May 5, when the woman was attacked when she followed her unleashed dog into some brush near Emma Wood State Beach.

Investigators say the woman screamed and the attacker fled but several people who were in a nearby river bottom where there was a homeless camp chased Mendez and knocked him unconscious.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Thursday

04/17/2025

Cloudy

-° / 55°

4%

Friday

04/18/2025

Clear

74° / 54°

2%

Saturday

04/19/2025

Clear

83° / 54°

0%

Sunday

04/20/2025

Mostly Clear

85° / 58°

0%

Monday

04/21/2025

Clear

86° / 59°

0%

Tuesday

04/22/2025

Partly Cloudy

87° / 58°

0%

Wednesday

04/23/2025

Mostly Clear

84° / 54°

1%

Thursday

04/24/2025

Partly Cloudy

77° / 52°

2%