Arizona woman loses an eye after being shot during a break-in, attempted sexual assault
The victim of an attempted sexual assault last year is telling her story for the first time.
The man who allegedly tried to rape her before shooting her in the head faces a judge next week after pleading guilty.
The victim says she wants him to get the maximum sentence.
Anne was asleep in her parents’ Snowflake home on the night of Dec. 2, 2023, when she reportedly woke up to 18-year-old Joel Omari Hernandez standing above her, trying to rape her.
"He kept on pointing a gun at me. When I kept on telling him ‘No, this is not your home, you need to leave,’ he shot me right here, and it went down, went into my skull, out my eye, down my cheek and into my shoulder," Anne said.
She says Hernandez lived across the street and believed he had been watching her for some time.
She says she put up a good fight, fending off the man who appeared to be high and smelled of alcohol. That's until he allegedly lost patience and aimed for her head.
Her brother, who wants to remain anonymous, was terrified she wouldn’t survive her injury.
"He’s been there for me since day one, since this happened. He’s been up at the hospital with me, about every day. He came to the rehab when I was there. He’s been a very big supporter of me," she said.
He replied, "Of course. You’re my only sister."
The bullet, having shot through Anne’s skull, missed her brain by millimeters.
Joel Omari Hernandez
The attack left Anne with one eye. She's unable to drive or work, and insurance won’t cover the cost of a glass eye as it's considered a cosmetic procedure.
Each time she looks in the mirror, she no longer sees the woman she was, but the traumatized person she’s become.
"I think I’m less angry than my brothers," Anne said. "They were ready to get a posse together and go get him. For me, I just want to see justice served."
The Navajo County Attorney’s Office says the now 19-year-old Hernandez has pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder and burglary, while also charging him for three previous crimes, including the unlawful use of transportation, criminal damage and threatening or intimidation.
Sentencing will be left up to the court.
"I want him to be charged to the fullest for what he has done to me," she said.
Hernandez is set to be in Navajo County court next Thursday. As part of a plea deal, the maximum time he’ll get is 30 years.
The family is praying the judge doesn’t allow him back on the streets anytime soon.
They are also asking for your help as they try to raise the tens of thousands of dollars to pay for Anne’s ongoing medical bills.
You can donate to her GoFundMe by clicking this link: https://gofund.me/be307d7a