Homeless Woman Pleads Guilty to Beating, Robbing 84-Year Old

A homeless woman pleaded guilty on Monday to beating and robbing $1,400 from an 84-year old man on New Year's Day.

Julia Townsend, who according to police records had no home at the time of her arrest, pleaded guilty to one felony count of first degree burglary, one count of second degree robbery, and one count of second degree assault. She had .

Sentencing will take place in the middle of July.

The victim of the late-night attack, which police said occurred around 3 a.m., said he would, "like to see her put away for a while."

"She couldn't plead any other way, so I'm glad she decided to plead guilty," said Robert Desmond, who recounted being attacked at his mobile home.

Desmond said after he opened the door to let Townsend in his home - he said he knew her because "a friend introduced me to her" – she pushed her way into the mobile home and hit him in the head with a coffee pot, knocking him to the floor, where he was unable to lift himself up.

"I couldn't get up – I have no kneecaps," he said. "No matter how hard I tried, every time she heard me getting up, she came back and kicked me in the head or kicked me in the stomach."

He said Townsend "went through the whole house" for four hours before leaving, and . Desmond was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.

Desmond said his head is still "raw" from the encounter.

"I hope she does good time," he said.

Townsend, who is 38 years old, had 13 dockets and 18 counts outstanding with the Riverhead Town Justice Court. Incidents run the gamut from riding a bicycle on a sidewalk to driving without a seat belt to fourth degree grand larceny.