VISALIA, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — In an emotional interview, Felix Guerra recounts confronting a man suspected of multiple sexual assaults on Saturday night.
“As I got close to him, I saw him get off of the old lady, and I was like ‘What are you doing?’” remembers Felix.
The awful images of an unconscious elderly woman are something time won’t erase.
Felix describes, “Her pants were all pulled down to her ankles and her shirt was all the way to her neck,” recalls Felix.
Through tears, Felix says, “I could’ve stopped it if I would’ve stayed on him, you know?”
Visalia Police say the unhoused 70-year-old woman was one of three victims.
The others were 57 and 36.
One of them was Felix’s girlfriend, as they slept at the Oval Park.
“He crept up behind her and put one arm on her neck and put his hand on her mouth,” explains Felix, “She turned and tried to see who he was and as she did that he let go of her mouth and she said Felix, Felix get up!”
Felix got up, tracked the man down, and confronted him.
“I think I shattered his nose or something. My friends told me the cops were coming, so I stopped,” remembers Felix.
The suspect, seen in multiple videos wearing black pants and a red hoodie, ran off.
Felix last saw him on First and Locust, where police say the elderly woman was assaulted.
“We do wanna bring justice, and we just need the public’s help. Any type of information would be beneficial to our detectives,” urges Liz Jones, with the Visalia Police Department.
The sexual assaults have sent shockwaves through the community, especially for those who have no shelter at night.
One woman, who was not far from the attack when it happened, shares she herself is a survivor of sexual assault, “I don’t think we ever heal completely from a situation like that, it changes a person.”
She continues, “It seems like it takes a piece of you to go through something like that.”
The unhoused community is now on edge and being extra cautious.
As police continue to investigate, The Family Services Center is offering free resources for those in need.
Their statistics show that one in four women has been victimized.
The non-profit can’t comment on specific cases, but their Crisis Supervisor of Tulare County, Claudia Castanon, says they focus on rights for victims.
“We have a support group held twice a month. It’s also a way for survivors to come together.”
If you have any information on the case, you are asked to contact the Visalia Police Department at (559) 734-8117.
