Deputies say the woman survived after losing consciousness in the ocean.
STUART, FL — A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree premeditated murder after investigators said he attacked a woman walking on a Martin County beach late Thursday night and tried to drown her in the ocean. Authorities said the woman survived and found help.
The case drew attention because investigators described it as a random, violent attack on a public shoreline, with the suspect located days later after a separate call to police in a neighboring city. The arrest came as deputies continued reviewing video, searching for witnesses and gathering evidence to document what happened in the dark along the water. Sheriff John Budensiek said the incident was “extremely alarming” and warned that the investigation is ongoing.
Deputies said the attack happened along the beach in Stuart late Thursday, Feb. 12, as the woman walked on the sand while talking on the phone with her sister. Investigators said an unknown man came up from behind and struck her, then forced her toward the surf. The woman told deputies the fight continued for several minutes, with the man pulling her hair, grabbing her neck and pushing her head underwater, holding her down so she could not breathe. Budensiek said the victim fought back and tried to break the grip with punches and other strikes. Deputies said she swallowed seawater and at one point lost consciousness during the struggle.
Investigators said the attacker took the woman’s phone and threw it into the ocean, then walked away, apparently believing she was dead. When the woman regained consciousness, deputies said, she got out of the water and headed down the shoreline to find help. Authorities said she walked more than a mile before reaching the Stuart Beach area, where she encountered a deputy and reported the assault. Martin County Fire Rescue responded to evaluate her, but officials said she declined transport to a hospital. Her identity was not released. Budensiek said she survived what could have been a fatal assault and credited her resistance for helping her escape.
Investigators said they spent the next two days canvassing the area, reviewing camera footage and looking for anyone who may have seen the struggle or the suspect leaving. Deputies also monitored the beach, searching for the man described by the victim. The sheriff said the circumstances made the case difficult because it happened late at night along an open stretch of shoreline, when few people were present. Authorities said they focused on piecing together a timeline from the victim’s statement, any available video, and the phone call with her sister, who investigators said heard screaming and sounds of a struggle before the call disconnected just before 11 p.m.
The break in the case came Sunday night, Feb. 15, when Port St. Lucie police responded to a call involving a man reported to be suicidal, investigators said. Authorities said the man made statements about killing a woman by drowning her at a beach in Martin County. Port St. Lucie police contacted the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and detectives interviewed the man and identified him as Said Alexander Hernandez-Gonzalez, born March 23, 1999. Deputies said Hernandez-Gonzalez admitted he was at the beach that night. Investigators said he told them he had been drinking vodka and smoking marijuana before seeing a woman alone along the shoreline.
According to investigators, Hernandez-Gonzalez acknowledged approaching the woman and throwing her phone into the water. Deputies said he also admitted continuing to submerge her head underwater even after realizing he had “gone too far,” and said he believed she was dead when he left the scene. Budensiek said the suspect later went back to Port St. Lucie after the attack. Investigators described the statements as cold and deliberate, and said they matched key elements of the victim’s account. Budensiek said the suspect is a native of Venezuela and entered the United States on a work visa that had expired. The sheriff said federal immigration authorities placed an ICE detainer on him.
Budensiek announced the arrest at a Monday afternoon news conference, Feb. 16, describing the attack as unprovoked and warning that the victim was targeted while alone. He urged anyone who was on the beach that night, or who may have seen a man matching the suspect’s description near the shoreline, to speak with investigators. Deputies did not describe additional injuries beyond what was reported in the struggle, and they did not say whether Hernandez-Gonzalez had an attorney who could comment. Authorities said the charge filed is attempted first-degree premeditated murder and that Hernandez-Gonzalez is being held at the Martin County Jail while the case moves forward.
Detectives said they will continue gathering evidence, including reviewing video from nearby areas and documenting the timeline of the woman’s movements from the point of attack to where she found help. Authorities also said they are working to confirm details from the suspect’s statements and to identify any potential witnesses who may have been on the shoreline or in nearby parking areas. Budensiek said investigators are treating the case as an attempted homicide and will present the findings to prosecutors as they prepare for the next court steps.
Author note: Last updated February 16, 2026.