Police: Illegal immigrant with 4 prior arrests charged in fatal sex attack

An illegal immigrant with four prior arrests is accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a California woman, who later died.

Police have arrested 29-year-old Victor Aureliano Martinez Ramirez in connection with the heinous crime.

They say that the undocumented immigrant attacked 64-year-old Marilyn Pharis with a hammer and sexually assaulted her in her Santa Maria home. She died Saturday, eight days after the attack.

The Santa Maria Times reported that Ramirez pleaded not guilty on Friday to attempted murder, first-degree burglary with person present, assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration by foreign object and resisting a peace officer.

Authorities are now weighing whether he will face more charges in the wake of Pharis' death.

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