Man Accused Of Attacking Elderly Woman Outside Grass Valley Church Arrested
GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) — The suspect in a violent attack on an elderly woman outside of a church has been arrested, the Grass Valley Police reported on Thursday.
Alan Kierkegaard, 50, a homeless man police say attacked her outside her church on Sunday morning, was reported detained by Grass Valley Police.
Alan Kierkegaard in custody. More to follow.
— Grass Valley Police (@GrassValleyPD) July 10, 2015
Police say woman spotted a vehicle matching the description of Tassone's in a K-Mart parking lot on McKnight Way. Grass Valley Police and California Highway Patrol officers converged on the vehicle and took Kierkegaard into custody.
Police released a surveillance photo of Kierkegaard earlier this week. Several churchgoers told police the man had been hanging around outside the church for about a week.
The alleged attack happened on Sunday morning outside of St. Patrick's church where Mary Tassone, 78, was struck on the head with a blunt object. Police say as Tassone arrived early to open the doors for Sunday's service, Kierkegaard struck her on the head and stole her car
Her family says the 78-year-old is still in the intensive care unit, suffering from brain injuries. She's unable to speak, so she can't talk to police about what happened to her on Sunday morning.