A 30-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly trying to rape a homeless woman in Van Nuys in September, police said Friday.
The crime occurred about 2:50 a.m. on Sept. 15 in the 6200 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The woman was sleeping in the doorway of a closed business when Wilfredo Lemus allegedly approached her “and attempted to engage in forced vaginal sex with her,” police said in a statement.
“However, the victim defended herself against the attack,” the statement said. “Minutes after the attack, the suspect returned after removing his pants and shoes and attempted a second sexual assault.”
Lemus was booked into the LAPD Van Nuys Station jail Thursday on suspicion of attempted rape and his bail was set at $100,000.