Relative Charged With Attempted Murder Of Hawthorne Mother, Teen Son: Report

HAWTHORNE, CA — A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a mother and her teenage son were found severely injured inside their Hawthorne home last week, authorities announced Wednesday.

Juan Aguilar-Alvarez, a relative of both victims, was charged Wednesday, Nov. 4, after investigators presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The 58-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday, nearly a week after the Oct. 29 attack.

The pair were discovered unconscious with severe injuries inside an apartment in the 4000 block of 139th Street, near Prairie Avenue, shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to authorities. Both were taken to a hospital with injuries described as blunt-force trauma.

The woman's husband discovered his wife and son when he returned home, according to neighbors who spoke with KTLA.

Erika Gonzalez, a neighbor who called 911, described the distressing scene to the television station.

"I can only imagine getting home from work and opening your door and just seeing your son and your wife laying there," Gonzalez told KTLA. "I don't want to give details, but it was not something I would ever want anyone to experience."

Aguilar-Alvarez was initially identified as a person of interest and arrested on an unrelated charge the night of the attack, according to sheriff's officials. Investigators subsequently presented their findings to prosecutors, who filed the attempted murder charges Wednesday.

Neighbors previously told KTLA that the woman's brother had been living with the family and may have been involved in the attack. Authorities confirmed Aguilar-Alvarez is related to both victims but did not specify his exact relationship to them.

Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive, and information about Aguilar-Alvarez's next court appearance was not immediately available.

Detectives with the Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau are assisting Hawthorne police with the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or through lacrimestoppers.org.