Homeless man accused of attacking woman after trying to break into her Upland home

(FOX 11) - Upland Police are investigating a Sunday morning burglary that left a woman in the hospital in critical condition.

Police say around 11 in the morning, they received a 911 call about a woman being assaulted outside her home on West Arrow Highway.

"He tore the screen off of the window, and he threw a rock at it and it bounced back," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified. "I jumped on top of my chair, and I noticed that the man had the lady in a choke hold. He was choking and moving her around."

Another neighbor who also saw the attack told us, "I just screamed to my sister, 'Call 911! Hurry up! Now!'"

When Upland Police officers arrived, they say the suspect continued striking the 45-year-old woman.

"The suspect was mounted on top of the victim and still attacking her," said Chief Darrin Goodman with the Upland Police Department.

Chief Goodman said the suspect -- 29-year-old Armondo Ramirez, Jr. -- ignored commands from police officers. Officers deployed a taser to stop the attack.

Police say it started as a foiled burglary. That Ramirez was trying to break into the house and was surprised that the victim was home. When she came outside and confronted him, he attacked her.

"I guess he must've hit the lady with a rock in the head," a neighbor said. "My nephew yelled at him to let her go, and he wouldn't let her go. He just turned around and smiled at him."

Officers intervened and performed CPR on the victim who was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The suspect -- who police say has a lengthy criminal background -- was booked and held at a San Bernadino County jail to be arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary.

"I can't say enough about the important work of a local neighbor who saw the attack and called 911," said Chief Goodman. "Without that neighbor, we don't know what may have occurred."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Upland Police Department at (909) 946-7624.