A 26-year-old Maryland man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly raped a woman and tried to kill her last weekend in Silver Spring, authorities said.
The incident unfolded just before midnight Friday at an apartment building, where police said Mendoza used to live, in the 8500 block of 16th Street near the District and Maryland line.
Police said the woman was carrying items from her vehicle that was parked in the lot of the building when she realized a man was following her.
When she unlocked the door to the building, the man grabbed her from behind and threw her to the floor. She tried to yell, but the attacker tried to strangle her. As she tried to get away, he hit her in the face with his hands and a closed fist before raping her, according to police.
She was taken to a hospital for her injuries.
Police said in a statement that “doctors advised detectives that the severity of the strangulation the victim suffered could have resulted in her death.”
