An illegal immigrant is behind bars after police say he ambushed a woman on a popular Florida beach and attempted to drown her before leaving her for dead in a late-night attack.
Said Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national, was arrested on Sunday for his alleged role in the “unprovoked” attack at Tiger Shores Beach in Stuart, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is an extremely alarming case,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told WEPC. “Random acts of violence like this are some of the most difficult crimes to solve — and that’s exactly what this was.”
Police say the victim was walking along the shoreline while on her phone at around 11 p.m. when Hernandez Gonzalez approached her from behind, “struck her, pushed her into the water and attempted to drown her.”
“About five minutes after passing him, she was brutally attacked,” Budensiek reportedly said. “She was grabbed around the throat, dragged into the ocean, and held down as she struggled to break free.”
The victim eventually lost consciousness in the struggle, causing Hernandez Gonzalez to believe she was dead and throw her cell phone into the ocean, according to authorities.
“The next thing she recalled was waking up half in and half out of the water,” Budensiek told the outlet.
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When she gained consciousness, the victim walked over a mile to nearby Stuart beach, where she was able to locate a sheriff’s deputy.
Following a days-long search, Hernandez Gonzalez was taken into custody after an individual reported a suicidal male claiming to have killed someone on a local beach.
Upon being interviewed by police, he reportedly showed no remorse when told the victim survived the alleged attack.
“When asked if he felt any remorse, his response was, ‘No, I don’t feel nothing,’” Budensiek reportedly said.
Hernandez Gonzalez remains in custody in the Martin County Jail, where he is being held without bond on charges of attempted first-degree premeditated murder.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Hernandez-Gonzalez entered the United States illegally in 2023, and was paroled and granted Temporary Protected Status by the Biden administration.
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DHS has placed an immigration detainer against Hernandez-Gonzalez to ensure he remains in custody.
“Said Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez — a product of the Biden administration’s open-border policies — brutally attacked a woman on the beach and attempted to drown and kill her,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
“She bravely fought back and survived this wicked attack. ICE has lodged an immigration detainer with the Martin County Sheriff’s office, and because of Florida’s cooperation with ICE, this sicko will never walk American streets again. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”
