Man Arrested in Assault on Neighbor
A Huntington Beach man was arrested Sunday night after he broke into a neighbor’s home, beat and tried to suffocate the resident after she discovered him, police said.
About 9:40 p.m., the 58-year-old woman went downstairs to investigate noises she heard in her condominium in the 16800 block of Snapper Lane, police said.
A man police identified as Armando Villaruel attacked the woman as she screamed, authorities said. Neighbors called 911 and saw the attacker flee through the front door, police said.
Villaruel, 23, had entered through the kitchen window, police said.
After officers arrived, witnesses pointed out Villaruel, who was standing in front of the victim’s home, police said.
“Maybe he was trying to blend in with the crowd,” Lt. Jon Arnold said of Villaruel, who lives next door to the victim.
The woman was treated at a hospital for a broken wrist, broken eye orbit bone and multiple cuts and bruises, then released, Arnold said.
Villaruel was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and burglary. He was booked into the Huntington Beach Jail and held on $250,000 bail.
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