Sept. 28--A Mount Prospect man has been ordered held in lieu of $10 million bail after being arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 97-year-old Arlington Heights woman, at her residence at an assisted-living facility, Arlington Heights police said Sunday.
Frank H. Mendez, 51, was arrested and charged on Thursday with aggravated criminal sexual assault of an elderly victim, home invasion, and aggravated battery to a person over the age of 60 in an incident that occurred at the Church Creek Senior Living facility Aug. 20 in 1200 block of Central Road during the day, police and prosecutors said.
In addition to that crime, Mendez is also charged with criminal trespass in the 700 block of South Patton Circle in Arlington Heights for an incident that happened about 7:30 p.m. on the same day -- but with a different victim, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Caitlin Casey.
Mendez appeared in Cook County bond court, where he was ordered held in lieu of $10 million cash bail, $5 million for each case, by Cook County Judge James Brown. Mendez, of the 2000 block of Algonquin Road in Mount Prospect, is required to post the full bail amount to be released.
Mendez, who used a Spanish interpreter, hung his head and had his hands clasped behind his back. He wore saggy bluejeans, a black fleece zip-up jacket and dirty-looking gym shoes.
The 97-year-old victim was sleeping when she was attacked at the senior living center, said Casey. Prosecutors said Mendez cut the window screen with a knife and entered through that window.
According to the allegations:
Mendez "pulled" the woman from her bed, ordered her to "shut up" and dragged her in her bathroom, where he took off her clothes and he took off his size 9.5 shoes. He then beat her.
She suffered "severe bruises" and lacerations to her face, bruises on her leg and bleeding to her genital area.
During the attack, her medical alert sensor went off, alerting a security guard who worked at the senior home. Mendez fled when that security officer knocked, went into her room and saw her in the bathroom nude. She told him she thought she'd been raped, said Casey.
Police recovered a fingerprint from the window, prosecutors said. The fingerprint was used to link Mendez to the crime. Police also found his shoes in the bathroom.
When Mendez was arrested, he admitted to police he was in the woman's home but he said she was the aggressor and she fought with Mendez, said Casey.
Before the judge set bail on the sexual assault, Casey told the judge that Mendez was also charged in the trespassing case.
The female victim in that case returned home from a park with her children. Mendez was at the same park and followed them to their home, according to Casey. He jumped a gate to her home, went inside and began fondling himself, but the woman screamed when she saw him and he fled, prosecutors said.
That woman worked with police to develop a sketch of the suspect, and on Thursday, Mendez, who fit that description, was spotted riding a bike. Police brought him in for questioning, and he was later charged, said Casey.
On criminal background, prosecutors said Mendez has a 2012 public indecency conviction and a 1997 "resisting" conviction. He has one domestic battery arrest and two failures to appear in court. Prosecutors said he has two prior convictions for misdemeanor public indecency.
The 97-year-old victim was transported to Northwest Community Hospital after the Aug. 20 incident, where she was treated and subsequently released, police said. The woman no longer lives at the senior living center, police said.
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