South Side homeless man charged after police say he attempted to rape senior woman, broke her back

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police charged a homeless man on Monday two months after they said he broke a woman’s back while trying to rape her on the South Side before she used her medical alert device to scare off her attacker.

Police said the suspect, William Hercules, 27, is a homeless man known to officers on the South Side.

The victim, who uses a walker, was reportedly on her way to the store to get milk for her neighbor when investigators said Hercules assaulted and tried to rape her.

Investigators in the criminal complaint said Hercules confronted the victim outside her apartment building, Carson Towers on East Carson Street, just after 9 p.m. on Aug. 18.

Matt Kortz is the maintenance supervisor at Carson Towers and knows the victim.

“Super nice, really sweet, not someone that deserved this,” Kortz said. “I think it’s ridiculous that someone would do that to an elderly person. It’s sick.”

Detectives said the suspect demanded she give him her phone. When she refused, police said Hercules shoved her to the ground breaking her back and pelvis. He got on top of her and started strangling her while trying to take her pants off. When she screamed, the criminal complaint said the suspect covered her mouth and began rubbing his body against hers in a sexual way.

“I think it’s horrible,” Kortz said.

During the terrifying struggle, investigators said the victim was able to push her life alert to call 911 for help. That’s when the suspect ran away.

Four days after the alleged assault, Kortz said he and a few other tenants spotted Hercules across the street sleeping at Ormsby Park. They called police who, according to the criminal complaint, knew the homeless man after repeatedly responding to calls for intoxication.

Meanwhile, Kortz is praying the victim fully recovers.

“I really hope she’s alright,” Kortz said. “We’ve all said prayers for her, and we hope to see her back here soon.”

The maintenance supervisor has since added alarms and brighter lighting to the apartment building and is looking into getting surveillance cameras outside.

Hercules was arrested for assaulting a man on Aug. 20, a couple days after the alleged attempted rape. A warrant is still out for his arrest on the attempted rape case that also includes charges of aggravated assault, attempted sexual assault and strangulation.

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