Probable cause found to charge home invasion suspect

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho found probable cause yesterday to warrant the filing of charges against Alonzo Uchol Pedro Jr., a member of a cultural dance group who allegedly broke into a house and beat up a woman.

Pedro is facing charges of burglary, assault and battery, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and disturbing the peace. He will be arraigned on Aug. 11 at 9am.

Pedro, 20, was remanded into the custody of the Department of Corrections. He has been in detention after failing to post a $100,000 cash bail.

Assistant public defender Mike Sato served as counsel for Pedro.

At the hearing, assistant attorney general Margo Brown-Badawy called to the stand police detective Elias Q. Saralu, the case agent of the case.

Saralu testified that the victim, an Asian woman, sustained lacerations and bruises on the right side of her head, and abrasions on her left bicep and back.

Saralu said the cut on the victim’s head required six stitches, her middle finger nail almost came off, her left arm was bruised, and she had scratches on the back, as well as neck pain.

Saralu said police officers were dispatched to the Bay View Apartment in San Vicente last July 20 at 5:41am in response to an injured person case. When the officers arrived at the scene, medics were already attending to the victim.

Saralu said that in an interview the following day, the victim related that she was sleeping on the couch in the living room of her apartment between 5:30am to 6am when she heard a noise coming from outside the front door.

When the victim looked out from the living room window, she saw a man, later identified as Pedro, trying to open the front door of her apartment. Pedro then asked the victim to if he could use her telephone. The victim told him to go away or she would call the police.

Saralu said that Pedro managed to break open the door, choked the victim and covered her mouth as she tried to call the police,

The victim bit Pedro’s left arm, but he continued choking her. She struggled for five to 10 minutes. The suspect then hit the victim with an object, causing her to lose consciousness. She regained consciousness after a few seconds and saw the suspect pick something up from the ground and ran out. A neighbor then arrived to help the victim.

Saralu said the victim disclosed that prior to the incident, she saw the suspect twice roaming in the parking lot of the apartment.

He said the victim identified Pedro in a phone line-up.

Saralu said Pedro was also investigated for a rape case that happened in San Vicente in June.