Woman accused in brick attack on elderly man sentenced to 15 years in prison

A woman who pleaded no contest to severely beating an elderly man with a brick in Willowbrook last year was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in state prison.

The plea by Laquisha Jones, 30, of Los Angeles to a count of elder abuse was part of a deal with prosecutors in December.

She also admitted to allegations of using a deadly and dangerous weapon — the brick — in the attack and that she inflicted great bodily injury on the man. Jones had been charged with attempted murder, but that count was dropped as part of the plea deal, according to prosecutors and Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

Prosecutors said Jones attacked the man, who is now 92 years old, without provocation July 4 near 118th and Robin streets. Family members said the man, whom they identified as Rodolfo Rodriguez, was out on his daily walk around the neighborhood when he came across a woman and a girl on the sidewalk. The family members told KTLA that the woman confronted Rodriguez after he bumped into the child.

Authorities said he was struck with the brick from behind and was left unconscious on the sidewalk, his face bloodied and bruised. He was later treated at a hospital for a broken cheekbone, his family said.

After the attack, police searched for multiple suspects and arrested Jones on July 10.

Misbel Borjas, who lives near Rodriguez, said she was passing by in a car when she saw Rodriguez walking and trying to pass the woman and girl. Then, Borjas said, she saw the woman push Rodriguez and start to hit him.

“She was yelling at him, ‘Go back to your country,’ or ‘Go back to Mexico,’ ” Borjas told The Times in July. “It was racist.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry