Charges upgraded to attempted murder in brick attack on 92-year-old man

A woman accused of severely injuring a 92-year-old man with a brick is now facing charges of attempted murder and elder abuse, prosecutors said.

Laquisha Jones, 30, allegedly attacked the elderly man with a brick south of Los Angeles on July 4, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.

A "woman pushed him and dropped him," a witness told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles. "She took the block of concrete and hit him in his head many times."

Jones, who prosecutors said fled the scene after the assault, was arrested Tuesday and initially faced the charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The district attorney's office announced the attempted murder and elder abuse charges on Thursday.

The 92-year-old was hospitalized after the assault in Willowbrook but has since been released, reported KABC-TV. He suffered a broken cheekbone and bruises to his face, according to a GoFundMe organized by his grandson.

The motive was not known, the sheriff's department said, adding this week that it was "not a hate-related incident."

Jones was arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty, according to court records. She is set to return to court on July 26.