After the man accused of attacking two women in the Venice Canals was charged with murder following the death of one of the victims, friends and family of the deceased continued to grapple with anger and shock Wednesday.
Sarah Alden, 53, died last Friday after she was taken off life support. Police said Alden, while taking a walk along the canals, was attacked and sexually assaulted by Anthony Jones.
One of Alden’s friends said the assault victim, who had a home in Massachusetts, had moved to Venice and signed a lease for her “dream.”
“I can’t breathe. I’m in a state of shock. I still feel I’m going to see her next week,” Cynthia King, one of Alden’s best friends, said. ”Our dream was always to be here together. In the end, it finally happened.”
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But a few weeks after arriving in Southern California, Alden was attacked and sexually assaulted while walking along the canals early April.
“It just happened in a flash,” King said. “One moment I’m talking to her, and we’re talking about brunch the next day … and the next moment she’s just disappeared.”
Another woman physically and sexually assaulted at the canals is now back home after receiving treatments.
Mary Klein, who was attacked an hour after Alden was beaten by the suspect, suffered a traumatic brain injury with her whole face “smashed in.”
“I have about five plates and a bunch of screws in my face,” Klein, 54, said, adding she hopes the suspect would go to prison for life. ““As far as he’s concerned I know that the law will take care of him. We’re not going to have to worry about him walking around the canals any time soon.”
Klein also added she hopes authorities would do more to keep dangerous people off the streets.
“It’s kind of a shame that someone has to die for the point to be made that LA needs to prosecute dangerous people.”
