Elderly Assault Victim Still Unable to Describe Attack

The elderly El Cerrito woman who was found severely beaten and sexually assaulted on a Saturday morning in January in the Big O Tires parking lot on San Pablo Avenue remains unable to talk to police, Richmond police said Tuesday.

The 81-year-old woman had gone out from her independent living home for her customary early morning walk, police said. She was found badly injured about 9:15 a.m. on Jan. 28 by a Big O employee arriving for work.

She is currently in a hospital, attended by family members, but she remains unable to communicate with police about what happened, Richmond police Sgt. Stina Johanson said Tuesday. (The case is being handled by Richmond police because the tire store sits on the Richmond-El Cerrito border, with its building in Richmond and its sidewalk in El Cerrito.)

Police remain hopeful that she will recover and be able to provide information that could lead to identifying the attacker, Johanson said.

The relatively vigorous Asian woman is believed to have gone out for her walk sometime between 3:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., Johanson said. She was wearing a puffy white sports jacket and purple pants.

The morning she was found was chilly, and she showed signs of hypothermia, Johanson said. She was airlifted by medical helicopter to a local hospital.

Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction who whoever was responsible for the attack.

Anyone who saw the woman that morning or anything else in the vicinity that might be helpful is asked to call Johanson at 510-620-6616 or the anonymous tip line at 510-232-TIPS (8477).

Those who wish to send messages, flowers or donations to the victim may do so in care of Sgt. Johanson, Richmond Police Department, 1701 Regatta Blvd., Richmond, CA 94801, Johanson said.

The tire store at 10733 San Pablo Ave. is across the street from the Marshalls department store and near the intersection with Portola Avenue, about three blocks south of El Cerrito City Hall.

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