Woman sentenced in February 2024 assault, vandalism spree

INDIANAPOLIS – A woman who vandalized dozens of cars in a parking garage and attacked two people during the same week in February 2024 learned her punishment.

Denise Honorio, 35, appeared in court Thursday for a change of plea and sentencing hearing. She faced a number of charges in connection with the crime spree.

Honorio pleaded guilty to three charges: aggravated battery, robbery resulting in bodily injury and criminal mischief.

Marion Superior Judge Cynthia L. Oetjen sentenced her to a total of 16 years: 8 years each for the aggravated battery and robbery charges. A 2-year sentence for criminal mischief was to be served concurrently.

During the hearing, Oetjen suspended 4 years of the sentence to probation. She also gave Honorio about 2 years of credit for time served and good behavior.

February 2024 vandalism and attacks

On Feb. 2, 2024, Honorio spray-painted dozens of cars in a parking garage near the State Capitol. Security cameras captured footage of Honorio’s vandalism.

She used white paint to deface the vehicles. Capitol police release multiple photos of a woman later identified as Honorio.

That same day, she also attacked a nurse outside IU Health Methodist Hospital, knocking her down and stealing her purse. The victim suffered injuries and Honorio used her stolen credit cards and even her HSA card to make purchases, according to investigators.

She hit the woman in the face, neck and back before kicking her in the face while she was lying down, according to court documents.

Two days later, on Feb. 4, 2024, Honorio was loitering in the parking garage outside the Fresh Thyme grocery store in Broad Ripple.

She attacked a 72-year-old woman. The assault knocked the victim to the ground; she broke her left elbow and left hip. Both injuries required surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Police circulated photos of Honorio, leading to her arrest on Feb. 7. When they found her, she was still in possession of the first victim’s driver’s license.

Police said sweatpants found in her apartment during a search matched those from surveillance video.

Thursday’s hearing

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Honorio told the court she had previously suffered from depression but hadn’t been treated for mental illness and wasn’t on any medications.

Under the terms of her plea agreement, she faced up to 16 years in the Indiana Department of Correction, signed a no-contact order including all her victims and agreed to pay restitution to some of her victims.

Honorio’s spray-painting spree caused $50,000 in damage, prosecutors said. Victims were entitled to ask for restitution, although many of them didn’t. The judge ordered Honorio to pay restitution to four victims who requested it, with the amounts varying between $20 and $4,800.

Honorio didn’t make a statement on her own behalf when given the opportunity. She did answer questions for the judge, saying she was satisfied with her defense attorney and acknowledging she understood the terms outlined in the plea agreement.

Her two assault victims delivered impact statements—one remotely and one in court. The victim of the Feb. 2 attack said via teleconference that she suffered whiplash, bruises and abrasions from the assault, leading to a stay in the emergency room and multiple medical appointments.

Honorio used her stolen cards to make purchases and also took the victim’s driver’s license, giving her access to the victim’s name and address, further traumatizing her.

The woman said the attack was an “upsetting” experience that made her feel unsafe in her community and at work. She didn’t understand how someone could be “capable of such violence” against a complete stranger.

The victim of the Feb. 4 attack was 72 years old at the time of the incident. She suffered a broken hip and elbow, with the injuries requiring reconstructive surgery, an extended stay in the hospital, nearly two weeks in a rehabilitation facility and months of follow-up appointments and recovery.

She still experiences pain and said her sense of safety has been shaken. She told the court she has lived in the community for more than four decades. The woman recalled passing Honorio in the parking garage and smiling at her seconds before the attack took place.

Two detectives, one from Indiana State Police and the other from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, also spoke during the hearing to present surveillance video and photographic evidence of the vandalism and attacks.

The state asked for the maximum 16-year sentence, with aggravating factors including the age of the second victim, the total number of victims and the outright callousness of the attacks.

Honorio’s attorney asked the court to consider some mitigating factors, including her client’s lack of any previous criminal history, her role as a caretaker for her daughter, the low likelihood of reoffending and her acknowledgment of responsibility for her actions.

Ultimately, Oetjen gave the aggravating factors more weight, saying the age and number of victims, as well as the callousness of the crimes, worked against Honorio. The judge did consider the defendant’s acknowledgement of responsibility and her lack of criminal history.

Honorio will spend the bulk of her sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.