71-year-old fights off men trying to sexually assault her in burglary, IN cops say

A 71-year-old Indiana woman awoke to two men standing over her bed, trying to sexually assault her, but she sent them running, police told news outlets.

The men, 24-year-old Elijah Jaden Oates and Daquez Joseph Stockdale, 25, are accused of burglarizing the woman’s home in Fishers on Thursday, June 12, the Fishers Police Department said in a news release.

McClatchy News reached out to Stockdale’s attorney for comment but didn’t immediately receive a response. No attorney information was available for Oates.

It was around 6 a.m. when the woman said she woke up to a flashlight pointing at her face and two men in masks trying to assault her, police said, WTHR reported.

The woman put up a fight, she told police, clutching at one man’s shirt and squeezing the other man’s head with her legs, the station reported. After a short struggle, the men ran away and she chased after them, yelling “I’ll kill you,” according to police.

The men got inside the home through the garage, which the woman said she forgot to close, police told the station.

A purse was stolen from the home and police located Oates a short time later after investigators say he used the woman’s credit card at a Meijer supermarket in nearby Cumberland, WXIN reported.

Police said Oates named Stockdale as his accomplice during an interview, the outlet reported. He also told investigators that the burglary was “all about money” and they hadn’t tried to sexually assault the woman, though she “freaked out” when she woke up, the outlet reported.

Court records show Oates is facing charges including attempted rape, burglary, sexual battery, criminal confinement, theft and fraud. Stockdale is charged with burglary, criminal confinement and theft.

A trial is scheduled for both men on Oct. 7, records show.

Fishers is a northeastern suburb of Indianapolis.

This story was originally published June 22, 2025 at 1:52 PM with the headline "71-year-old fights off men trying to sexually assault her in burglary, IN cops say."