Authorities in South Texas say a 53-year-old convicted sex offender recently dropped dead while attempting to rape a 77-year-old woman inside her home.
"It is an unusual case. We got to catch the crook without an extensive investigation," Refugio County Sheriff Robert Bolcik told AOL Weird News.
According to Sheriff Bolcik, the incident happened June 2 in Tivoli, an unincorporated community located about 6o miles southwest of Corpus Christi.
The suspect Isabel Chavelo Gutierrez, rode his bicycle about two miles from his home to the elderly victim’s home. Once there, he allegedly entered the home through a screen door and confronted her with a pocketknife.
"He told her he would not hurt her and told her he was going to have sex with her," Bolcik said.
Despite reports to the contrary, Bolcik said the suspect was not successful in his attempt to rape the elderly woman. However, he did manage to sexually assault her.
"He never had sex with her," the sheriff said. "He rubbed her [private areas] and was kissing on her."
It was during the alleged assault, police said, that the 5-feet-7-inch tall, 230-to-250-pound suspect complained of severe chest pain.
"He told her 'I'm going to have to take a rest,'" Bolice said. "So he laid down on his side and took a little rest. [Afterwards], he got back up and started doing the same thing again. [A few minutes later], he stopped again and said, 'I'm going to have to rest a few more minutes.' He then laid over and expired."
The victim notified her daughter, who in turn notified police. Gutierrez was dead when deputies arrived on the scene. The suspect's body was sent to the Nueces County medical examiner in Corpus Christi for autopsy. Calls to the medical examiner's office were not immediately returned today.
"Because he said his chest hurt, we suspect he might have had a heart attack," Bolice said.
According to police, Gutierrez was a convicted sex offender who was on parole for aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child. He was released from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Division in 2008.