Bradenton man sentenced after ‘unimaginable’ attack on ex-girlfriend, prosecutors say
A Bradenton man who beat and sexually assaulted a woman will spend the next three decades in prison, prosecutors said.
A judge sentenced 30-year-old Amaury Fernandez to 30 years in prison for attacking and knocking an ex-girlfriend unconscious, according to court records. During the sentencing hearing, the judge called the case “one of the worst cases of domestic violence” she had seen, according to a news release.
Fernandez beat the woman and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. He knocked her unconscious, waited for her to wake up and then attacked her again, an arrest report said.
Court records show the sentencing followed Fernandez’s conviction in October on charges of sexual battery, false imprisonment and tampering with a witness. Circuit Judge Donna Padar also ordered him to serve 15 years of probation after his release.
Padar said the victim suffered bruises covering her entire body and had two black eyes. Padar also noted that a neighbor’s 911 call captured the sounds of Fernandez throwing the woman against the wall, prosecutors said.
An attorney representing Fernandez did not respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Assistant State Attorney Joshua Wertheim, who prosecuted the case, said the victim tried to end her relationship with Fernandez, but he refused to let go.
“The victim in this case did the right thing and left the defendant when she realized his aggressive behavior and tendencies,” Wertheim said in a statement. “Unfortunately, leaving him wasn’t enough, and even after being broken up, the defendant still chose to exercise his violence and control over the victim.”
In March 2020, Fernandez showed up at the woman’s Sarasota apartment and began banging on the door before entering the apartment and attacking her, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives said the victim’s mother arrived later that day and found her daughter unconscious. She called 911, and deputies responded to the apartment. They found the woman with bruises covering her body and marks on her neck from strangulation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies arrested Fernandez the next day, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
Wertheim said Fernandez’s actions left lasting trauma.
“The terror that she suffered while she was a captive in her own home are unimaginable. Her life was forever changed that day,” Wertheim said. “The victim and her family finally have justice, and the community is a safer place knowing that the defendant has been punished for his senseless actions against the mother of his child.”
Court records show Fernandez has filed a notice of appeal, contesting his conviction.
