Court documents are shedding some light on the moments a woman was attacked with a machete in East Bakersfield before she was left for dead in a burning apartment.
According to court documents, on or about June 23, Franco Ochoa "moved himself into (the victim's) apartment" on Troy Street, just off Fairfax Road and Edison Highway. The victim said Ochoa "took over" her apartment as if it was his own.
The victim said when she told Ochoa he could not live at the home he assaulted her. Ochoa then invited his wife, Amalia Lopez, into the home. When the victim told both of them they couldn't stay in her home, Ochoa ordered his wife to beat up the victim.
The victim said on June 24, Ochoa told his wife to go to the bathroom. At that time Ochoa began attacking her with a machete. The victim said she was unable to defend herself due to the injuries she suffered and because she was bleeding badly.
Court documents show that the victim suffered lacerations to both of her hands, her fingers, her elbow, her ear and her shin. She also suffered multiple bruises.
Ochoa and Lopez began taking the victim's personal belongings, stuffing them in backpacks. The two then started a fire in the victim's living room, setting clothes and papers on fire, leaving the victim in the burning building. The victim was able to get out of the building.
Documents show that Kern County Sheriff's deputies interviewed neighbors in the apartment complex.
One neighbor said she heard several loud screams coming from the victim's home. Another neighbor said when they found the victim the victim said, "Someone tried to kill me." When asked who, the victim said, "The people I was with."
Another neighbor said they talked to the victim and asked "What happened?" The victim responded, saying, "Frank sliced me up with a sword and left me for dead and caught me on fire." The neighbor said, "He set you on fire?" The victim responded, "Yeah, he doused me with some (stuff) and set me on fire. I was able to get out of the fire by crawling out the back. I tried to get help from the apartments."
Another neighbor described encountering Ochoa, seeing him with his machete. Ochoa asked for a band-aid and joked saying he cut one of his fingers "while sharpening the machete."
When interviewed by deputies, the neighbor motioned with his hands that the machete was about two to three feet long.
Both Ochoa and Lopez were eventually caught in Oxnard and were caught on surveillance. Lopez had been caught on video using Ochoa's EBT card at a convenience store.
Lopez is currently in the process of being transported to Kern County. Ochoa is being held in Oxnard on an unrelated charge.
Once they're in Kern County the two face attempted murder, torture, aggravated mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and arson charges.
