Community Corner

Man Tries to Strangle Woman on PCH

A Castaic man on a "pub crawl" was arrested Saturday around 6 p.m. and charged with assault, according to a Facebook post on the Hermosa Beach Police page.

Witnesses say the attack on the 49-year-old woman was "completely unprovoked," and started when 29-year-old Joel Jimenez slapped the victim on her rear end and then began to attack the woman, according to police.

The incident happened on Pacific Coast Highway as the woman and her 9-year-old niece waited to cross the highway to walk down Pier Avenue, according to police.

Jimenez, who was walking northbound on PCH, grabbed the victim's hair and began to strangle her. The girl began to scream and the woman yelled, "Help, call 9-1-1". 

A construction worker nearby ran to the scene, drill in hand, to try to help. 

Hermosa Beach Police officers were dispatched to a "strangulation in progress" and arrived within 60 seconds, according to police. Jimenez was taken to the ground and arrested without incident.

Jimenez told officers he was in Hermosa Beach to do a "pub crawl" with co-workers and was not sure how he ended up in handcuffs.

Call police at (310) 318-0360 if you witnessed the alleged assault or have any information. 


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