SACRAMENTO—Two teenagers were arrested after being accused of robbing and beating a senior citizen on Thursday, July 2, 2015, after she tried to help them.
William Joseph Dexter, 18, of Sacramento was arraigned on Tuesday, July 7 in Sacramento Superior Court on felony charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon or instrument, and elder abuse. He is being held in Sacramento County jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. His girlfriend, 16, is in the Sacramento County juvenile hall, facing the same charges. Her name has not been released because she is a juvenile.
William Joseph Dexter
The victim—a 73-year-old woman— is recovering from head injuries, cuts to her hand and possible fractures to her arm, said Sonya Aflleje, one of the woman’s daughters.
The victim was coming out of Raley’s Market at Marconi and Watt Avenues on Thursday at approximately 7:00 p.m. when she was approached by a crying teenage girl. She said her grandfather was ill and that she was trying to get to her cousin’s house so she could see him.
The victim loaned the girl her cell phone to arrange a ride, but she said there was no response to the call, the elderly woman agreed to give the girl a ride. At that point, the teen asked if her boyfriend could join them.
Aflleje said the two impressed her mother as clean-cut students, but as a precaution, asked them to pose for a photo, which she took with her cell phone. The woman drove them to a house on Eastwood Road. It was then they struck her in the head and tried to take her purse, but were only able to get her cell phone.
When the victim tried to drive away, she struck two parked cars. The teens fled, but a witness, Cody Hendrix, 25, chased after them after seeing the woman stumble out of her car with her head bleeding.
After a long foot chase, the two suspects gave up on a bench in front of Del Paso Manor School.
Other people called the Sheriff’s Department as Hendrix pursued the two to Del Paso Manor Elementary School. Dexter and his girlfriend split up, so Hendrix said he followed the girl, who sat down on a bench. The boyfriend then gave up and sat down with her. A sheriff’s deputy arrived shortly and arrested them
Aflleje said her mother wants others to know what happened in the hope it will help others avoid falling victim to similar attacks.
“Mom wants to raise awareness that seniors are being targeted.”
Records show that Dexter had been arrested previously, on December 2 of 2014 for DUI, petty theft and resisting arrest. Though he currently resides in Rancho Cordova, he reported a Sacramento address at that time.
