Memorial service for victims of Venice canal attack imminent – ​​NBC Los Angeles

On Saturday, funeral ceremonies were held for a 53-year-old woman who was brutally attacked near the canals of Venice almost two months ago.

Sarah Alden had been in a coma since the April 6 attack and was declared brain dead on Monday. Friends said life support was taken off Friday after her organs were removed for donation.

Alden was one of two women attacked near the canals on April 6. The alleged attacker, 29-year-old Anthony Francisco Jones, was arrested in San Diego last month and charged with two counts of rape and one count each of sexual penetration by force, assault, torture, attempted murder and sodomy by force.

After Alden’s death, Jones could possibly be charged with murder.

The second victim, 54-year-old Mary Klein, remains in hospital with numerous bruises. Due to the beating she sustained, doctors were forced to wire her jaw shut.

According to Los Angeles police, the first attack occurred on April 6 at around 10:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Strongs Drive, where Alden was attacked from behind and struck with a blunt object, rendering her unconscious. The suspect attacked Klein in a similar manner about an hour later while she was walking near Sherman Canal.

Alden, a mother of two sons, was in the process of moving to Venice when she was attacked. According to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for funeral expenses, she planned to meet two close friends for breakfast on April 7 to tell them she was moving from Massachusetts to the Los Angeles area.

The LAPD has identified and arrested a 29-year-old man who attacked two women along the canals of Venice. Christian Cázares reports for NBC4 News on April 12, 2024.

“She loved east coast sunrises and west coast sunsets,” a friend wrote on the page. “Sarah loved her two sons, her animals and had a keen eye for vintage jewelry, which she sold on roseark.com. At 53, Sarah wanted to start a new chapter in her journey; to forge a new path. Instead, her life was violently taken from her.”

The current charges against Jones include allegations that the crime was committed in the course of a kidnapping, targeted multiple victims, and caused great bodily injury. Jones could face a life sentence in prison.

Jones was ordered held without bail and his next court date is June 11 at the Airport Branch Courthouse. He has pleaded not guilty.