March 20th, 2024 By DJ Becker/The Madera News
A 50-year-old Madera woman is lucky to be alive after being carjacked, kidnapped, and assaulted by a violent registered sex offender Wednesday afternoon at about 1:30 near her home near Yosemite Avenue and L Streets. The victim was raped and seriously injured while being driven north towards the Modesto area, but fought and managed to escape her attacker and find help.
Madera Police Commander Josiah Arnold said the suspect, Otis McKinzy, 54, was found about 10 hours later and arrested in Elk Grove, near Sacramento after an extensive state-wide law enforcement search and alert had been broadcast.
“He was a transient living in his car in the area when he apparently saw the woman near her car and initially attempted to rob her. This appears to be a completely random, violent, and predatory attack. He approached the victim with a sharp metal object. McKinzy, 5’4, 180 pounds, is a convicted and registered sex offender, who had removed his ankle monitor sometime prior to the attack. His abandoned car was found nearby,” according to Arnold
There was no known connection to the victim, Arnold said, and the victim managed to escape the car sometime during the drive towards Modesto after being sexually assaulted by McKinzy, who had recently served 24 years in prison for a similar violent sexual crime.
McKinzy continued to drive the victim’s car north until the vehicle was spotted about 11 pm and he was arrested by police in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, after the large law enforcement search effort.
McKinzy was arrested and charged with carjacking, kidnapping, rape, and felony assault among other charges.
He is being held without bail in the Madera County Jail. It is not known if McKinzy was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the attack. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on McKinzy or the Wednesday incident is encouraged to call the Madera Police Department at (559) 675-4220.
Arnold said Madera has a strong victim services network that includes the Community Action Partnership which will be working with the victim to begin the process of healing and recovery. “Our patrol officers, dispatchers, detectives, and the Special Investigations Unit worked tirelessly on this case, and continue to sort through a large amount of evidence to ensure we deliver the Madera County District Attorney’s Office the best possible case for prosecution. We would also like to thank our law enforcement partners. Specifically, State Parole, Modesto PD and Elk Grove PD,” Arnold said.
