Steven Magdaleno: Man on parole tries to sexually assault 16-yr-old girl inside supermarket restroom
SOUTH WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA: On Sunday, September 18, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly attacked inside the restroom of a grocery store by a man who tried to sexually assault her. The victim had gone to the store's restroom when Steven Magdaleno, a 38-year-old man out on parole, followed her inside and locked the door.
The accused pushed the girl to the ground and got on top of her, but the young teen fought back and screamed for help. The commotion was noticed by her mother, who rushed and began screaming as well. Quickly, employees and other customers of the store came to the girl's rescue, reports Blaze Media. "The screams were just terrifying," said a witness, adding, "She was actually screaming saying, 'Help, help! I need help! My daughter’s in the bathroom with a guy!'"
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The incident occurred at a Stater Bros store on Sunday afternoon. Speaking to KTTV-TV, Seargent Jose Ramos, from the Special Victims Bureau of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, described the attack, revealing that the 38-year-old "pushed the victim and got on top of her and attempted to sexually assault her on the ground." Three men held the suspect on the floor until the authorities arrived at around 2 pm. The victim was taken to a hospital to receive treatment for her injuries.
According to sources, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office identified the accused as Steven Magdaleno and charged him with felony assault to commit rape, false imprisonment by violence, and attempted escape from custody, along with a misdemeanor charge of giving false information to a police officer. This was after Magdaleno gave the deputies his cousin's name, Ramos.
Notably, Magdaleno has a string of past offenses and is a parolee with a warrant for violating parole. He had earlier been convicted on counts of identity theft, possession of methamphetamine, and being under the influence of a controlled substance in Los Angeles County as per reports. The source also claimed that the 38-year-old is homeless, with a propensity to hang around in the grocery store's parking lot. As of Wednesday, September 23, Magdaleno pleaded not guilty and is being held on a $410,000 bail, reports the Los Angeles Times.
#BREAKING: District Attorney George Gascón announced that Steven Magdaleno was charged today with attempting to sexually assault a 16-year-old girl at a grocery store bathroom in #Whittier over the weekend. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/F16AIqCVvB
— George Gascón (@LADAOffice) September 20, 2022
The LA County District Attorney George Gascón, in a statement, spoke about the incident, "It is appalling that someone tried to sexually assault a 16-year-old girl in the middle of the day in a grocery store restroom. Brazen crimes like these are shocking to the entire community because the girl and her family should have felt safe in that space." He went on to thank the employees and customers who jumped to the girl's aid and also cautioned others who may have been victims of the suspect's transgressions. "I want to encourage anyone who has been sexually assaulted to report these crimes and get the help they need to heal from this devastating trauma," said Gascón.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has sought help from the public in identifying possible additional victims of the suspect. The Special Victims Bureau can be reached at (877) 710-5273 or specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.