72-year-old Woman Jumps Out of Window, Crawls to Neighbor's House to Escape Attacker
38-year-old roomate is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
Update: The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has released an update. Don Wiltse, the alleged attacker, is not related to the victim as previously stated. However, the victim told investigators that the two were close and that she considered Wiltse her “grandson.” (March 17, 2026, 1:54 p.m.)
A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after authorities say he strangled and severely injured a 72-year-old roommate during an early morning assault Friday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched around 12:20 a.m. to the 27000 block of Hawk Drive, north of Willits, after a neighbor reported that the woman had crawled to their home seeking help following the attack.
Officers with the Willits Police Department arrived first and provided aid until medical personnel took over. The woman was found with facial injuries consistent with strangulation and broken bones in her lower extremities. She was initially taken to a local hospital and later transferred out of the county for further treatment.
Sheriff’s deputies launched an attempted murder investigation after interviewing the victim at the hospital. Meanwhile, Willits police officers remained near the Brooktrails residence and saw the suspect, identified as Don Wiltse, in the driveway of the home, where he also lives. Officers detained him pending further investigation.
Authorities said Wiltse made threats against law enforcement officers while being detained.
Investigators determined that the assault followed an argument inside the home. Wiltse allegedly chased the woman into a bedroom, strangled her and threatened to kill her. When she tried to call 911, deputies said, he took her phone.
The woman escaped by jumping from a window about nine feet off the ground, then crawled to a neighbor’s home to get help.
Deputies later obtained a search warrant for the residence and collected evidence related to the assault.
Wiltse was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault causing great bodily injury, criminal threats, elder abuse and resisting a peace officer. He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail and is being held on $1,205,000 bail.