Loma Linda Man Accused of Savage Attack Has Day in Court

The trial of a Loma Linda man accused of taking part in the savage attack of a woman who nearly died was scheduled to begin today in Riverside County Superior Court.

Nicholas Gabriel Hernandez and alleged co-conspirator Charles Todd Lucas face attempted murder charges in connection with a December 2006 assault of a woman. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty, officials said. He is being tried alone and was scheduled to appear before a judge at 11 a.m., officials said.

On Dec. 31, 2006, Riverside Sheriff’s deputies found the victim bloody and beaten so badly, authorities at the time said she was fortunate to have survived it.

According to the prosecution, Lucas and Hernandez, also known as Shady, picked the woman up from her home and drove her to a Loma Linda home where she smoked methamphetamine. Hernandez then asked the woman if she wanted marijuana.

She agreed and the three left to Calimesa. At some point during the trip, Hernandez, the driver, pulled into a dark cul-de-sac. He then turned around to the woman who was in the back seat and punched her several times in the face, according to court documents.

Hernandez then reportedly got out of the car and tried to pull the woman out by her legs.

“Hernandez ordered Lucas to help pull (victim) out and Lucas grabbed (her) by the legs and they pulled (her) out of the car,” according to court documents. “Hernandez told Lucas to get the duct tape from the glove compartment. Lucas got the tape out but dropped it in the mud. Hernandez then told Lucas to tie (the woman’s) hands but the tape was covered in mud and would not stick.”

Angry, Hernandez pulled the woman’s head back and slit her throat then stabbed her repeatedly, officials said.

The victim's name has been withheld as the victim of a violent crime.

According to court documents, Hernandez grabbed the woman’s purse and the men got back into the car and Hernandez reportedly threatened Lucas with the warning, “You never saw this. It didn’t happen.”

As the men sat in the car, Lucas spotted the battered victim starting to walk away. Hernandez then ran her over with the car.

The woman somehow survived the ordeal and was spotted by witnesses who reported seeing a woman covered in blood walking down Interstate 10. News reports from 2007 said she spent the night on chairs in front of a church.

Authorities said the woman suffered a slash to the throat and was stabbed in the right temple, the base of her neck, on the lower right abdomen and her right forearm. She also had two black eyes.

Despite her serious injuries, the woman was able to identify her attackers and the men were taken into custody in January 2007.

Prosecutors have worked out a deal with Lucas, who has agreed to testify against Hernandez in exchange for a lighter sentence.