Osprey man convicted in beating of 7-month pregnant woman, fracturing her skull
In the morning hours of July 23, a 7-month-old pregnant woman was slapped awake by her significant other, Alexander Mendez.
He called her a “garbage (expletive) whore” and “snake” as he went through her phone, enraged because he spotted an unknown phone number, court documents show.
He began hitting her and spitting in her face. When she said she wanted to call the cops, he called her a “snitch” and “cop caller” and wouldn’t give her back her cellphone.
For the next several hours, Mendez repeatedly punched her in the head and slammed her head against a wall — breaking her skull. At one point in she managed to lock herself in the bathroom, but he broke the door down and dragged her out by her hair.
Following a four day-long trial, Mendez was convicted by a jury of aggravated battery knowing the victim was pregnant, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, false imprisonment, tampering with a victim and 13 counts of violation of a condition of pre-trial release on a domestic violence charge.
“I am thankful for the Victim’s courage and willingness to face her abuser in court despite his best efforts to keep her away. Her strength and courage should send a message to others that they do not need to accept treatment like this from people like the defendant,” Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn said in statement released by the State Attorney’s Office.
“Alexander Mendez will now be held accountable for his actions and be punished for what he has done, providing some closure and peace of mind for everyone involved.”
Mendez, 38, faces a maximum of up 65 years in prison as convicted. The state, however, will be asking the court to find Mendez a “habitual felony offender” which would enhance the sentence guidelines and he could face up to life in prison.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
The prosecutor thanked the man who heard the victim’s frantic and panicked pleas for help and called 911, as well as the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies who forced their way into the couple’s home — putting a stop to the beating.
The victim had heard someone outside when she began screaming for help. But when deputies arrived and began pounding on their front door, Mendez ordered her to be quiet, stay in the bedroom and hide under the covers, but then kept saying her, ”I’m not holding you against your will, right?”
For 15 minutes, two deputies pounded on all the windows and doors of the home and called the victim’s cellphone repeatedly. Then after a third deputy arrived and repeatedly called out for everyone inside the home to come out, the deputies forced their inside.
The deputies announced their presence inside and called for the couple to come out of the bedroom. After about a minute, the victim came out, followed by Mendez.
Mendez had told her to wipe the blood of her face before she came out, but blood was still visible on the walls.
Deputies and paramedics could see the fresh scratches on her hands, neck and face. A paramedic found swelling on the top right side and left side, from her temple to the back of the head. At the hospital, bite marks were also found on the victim’s stomach and breasts.
The abuse caused the victim to begin having contractions while being treated at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, but the baby was unharmed.
The defendant has a long history of domestic violence against multiple women — including another incident months before when Mendez also already knew she was pregnant. But the State Attorney’s Office dropped that case, court records show.
“Domestic violence is a serious issue in our community. This type of abuse often escalates to the point of no return,” Dunn said. “There is no doubt, given this man’s past, that their actions saved the Victim’s life. I am also thankful for the members of the Victim Advocate unit with the sheriff’s office who provided critical support for the Victim while this case was ongoing.”
Anyone who is a victim of domestic violence can call HOPE Family Services 24-hour help line at 941-755-6805. A live chat feature is now also available on their website, hopefamilyservice.org.
This story was originally published July 1, 2022 at 5:48 PM.
