Sean Anthony Aguilera, a 30-year-old man, was convicted on Monday after a crime spree in Tustin over two years ago that included punching a pregnant woman in the stomach, groping another woman and attempting to rob another woman of her fitness tracker.
Aguilera was convicted of felony charges of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and attempted robbery, as well as single misdemeanor charges of battery and groping.
Aguilera pleaded guilty this year, in April, but he later changed his mind when he found out that a conviction would mean he would would have to register for life as a sex offender.
At 7:51 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2022, the Tustin Police Dispatch Center received a call from a witness stating they just watched a man push an elderly female to the ground then run away just south of Old Town Tustin.
Despite an exhaustive search of the area, Tustin Officers were unable to locate the suspect nor the victim of the crime.
One hour later, Tustin Police received an additional 911 call about a male attacking a female near the closed Taco Bell on Newport Avenue. The suspect’s description of the second call matched the description from the first call.
As officers were investigating the second incident, another 911 caller advised a male suspect had attempted to get into her vehicle as she left her apartment complex near Walnut Avenue. At this time, all available on-duty Tustin Police resources, as well as a helicopter from an assisting agency were extensively searching for the suspect.
At approximately 8:15 pm, a Foothill Hospital security guard called 911 and advised he had just fought off a male who attempted to steal his radio.
A few moments later, one final 911 call was received in which an eight-months pregnant female stated she had been punched in the stomach by the male and he had ran towards the dead end of Newport Avenue.
Shortly after, a Tustin Police Officer located the male and detained him with the assistance of responding officers near the intersection of Kenyon Drive and Newport Avenue. The suspect was arrested without further incident and booked at the O.C. Jail for various charges.
Three days later, another female victim called the police when she saw news reports about Aguilera. She said she was on a walk at about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 2022, when Aguilera approached her as he rode on a skateboard and “tried to grab her black Fitbit from her wrist and tugged on it multiple times,” according to the prosecutors.
Aguilera told the police that he slapped the woman on the butt because he had been dared to by a friend, according to prosecutors. He also denied punching the pregnant woman.
Aguilera pleaded guilty to felony vandalism and misdemeanor criminal threats on Nov. 19, 2021, and was sentenced to 16 months in jail, according to court records.
Aguilera was placed on two years of probation, but violated terms of probation and was jailed for 60 days in July, according to court records.
Aguilera is set to be sentenced yet again on June 28. This time he is likely to serve several years in state prison.
