Police released a sketch of the man who brutally beat a female
shopper, slamming her head against a toilet, inside a Gilroy
Premium Outlets public restroom Wednesday afternoon then took her
purse and left, police and witnesses said.
Police released a sketch of the man who brutally beat a female shopper, slamming her head against a toilet, inside a Gilroy Premium Outlets public restroom Wednesday afternoon then took her purse and left, police and witnesses said.
The victim, a 35-year-old Gilroy resident, suffered scrapes, wounds and possible head injuries after the man assaulted her as soon as she unlocked the door of the stall, according to police and the woman who called 911 on her behalf.
“She took a significant beating,” Sgt. Wes Stanford said. “It was a vicious assault, and she sustained major injuries.”
A staff member at Gilroy Wine Outlet called 911 at 12:21 p.m. after the woman entered the store, according to Stanford and the staff member who made the call. Police were at the scene at 12:24 p.m., but the suspect was already gone, he said.
The woman told police that she noticed the man standing outside the restroom as she entered the bathroom, which is on the southeastern side of the shopping center at 8155 Arroyo Circle near Liz Claiborne and Gilroy Wine Outlet, among other businesses.
There were other women in the restroom when the victim entered, but they were gone at the time of the assault, Stanford said.
As soon as she unlocked the door to the restroom stall, the attacker pushed the door open and punched her in the face, Stanford said. Then he repeatedly punched and kicked her.
“It was probably an unnecessary level of violence to take the purse,” Stanford said.
The woman declined to be transported to the hospital by ambulance, Stanford said.
A female employee at the Gilroy Wine Outlet said paramedics bandaged some of the victim’s wounds when she entered the store.
“She came to the door dripping in blood,” said the female employee, who did not want her name used.
The victim’s wounds included a gash across her head that was at least four inches long, the employee said.
The employee said the woman told her that the assailant banged her head repeatedly against the toilet and the victim feared that the man might kill her in the process.
The wine store employee believes the victim was set up, as the victim told her that the man peeked inside the bathroom and asked, “Are you ready, hun?” to another woman in the restroom before he entered. The employee thought the suspect may have exited – and possibly entered – the restroom through a back door near a large trash bin, as the victim’s lip gloss was dropped on the ground near a rear door.
The wine store worker said she plans to take extra precautions in the future, such as bringing hair spray and a lighter.
“I want a weapon now,” she said. “That’s just freaky.”
Stanford would not reveal how much money was in the purse, but he indicated it was not an unusual amount. The incident was particularly disturbing because it was an unprovoked attack in a shopping area in broad daylight that came without warning, he said. He could not recall a similar incident having occurred at the outlets.
“It was pretty scary for the victim,” Stanford said.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man, age 35 or older. He is about 5 feet, 7 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches and weighs 170 to 180 pounds, police said. He has a black mustache and black hair, and he was wearing a black jacket, black baggy jeans and black work boots. He also was wearing black sunglasses, Stanford said.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Detective Stan Devlin at 846-0335. In addition, people can leave an anonymous message at (800) 782-7463.
