A California woman said she was viciously attacked by a total stranger while walking through the Los Feliz neighborhood – and is now urging others to be on high alert.
The terrifying incident unfolded on June 18 as 52-year-old Donna DeChristopher was walking home from errands near her residence on Sunset Drive in Los Angeles – a neighborhood she describes as usually safe and walkable.
She said she spotted a homeless man she had seen before – believed to be living in a nearby encampment not far from Thomas Starr King Middle School – when he suddenly sprinted toward her and began attacking her without warning.
The man, described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, allegedly punched her in the face three or four times before fleeing the scene.
DeChristopher lost consciousness and believed she may have been hit again while on the ground.
She wrote in a Facebook post that she was initially taken to Hollywood Presbyterian, but due to the severity of her injuries, she had to be transferred to Dignity California’s trauma center, where doctors worked to stop a brain bleed and assess the extent of damage to her eye.
Donna DeChristopher, 52, was left bloodied and bruised after a homeless man randomly attacked her in Los Feliz
The suspect, believed to be a homeless man in his 20s, punched DeChristopher in the face multiple times before fleeing the scene.
She was left with a broken nose, stitches, and significant trauma to her face. Facial recognition software reportedly failed to identify her due to the swelling when she attempted to call 911.
Doctors initially feared her retina had detached, but she avoided surgery for now.
She has no idea who the man is or what prompted the attack – noting he didn’t try to rob her and simply ran off after pummeling her.
A Good Samaritan who witnessed the brutal scene came to her aid and called for help.
‘I know that so much is going on right now, but this should not be falling through the cracks,’ DeChristopher told KTLA News.
‘If this happens to me, I’m vocal. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. Who else has he attacked that he has hurt that is too afraid to come forward? Who is he going to hurt the next time he’s out on the streets?’
Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents the district, responded with a statement: ‘While our work has yielded results, including a 40 per cent drop in the number of people living on the streets in our district last year, much more remains to be done and we will continue to deploy every resource available toward address this issue.’
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a homeless man believed to be responsible several days later.
He reportedly had a warrant for his arrest and a history of trespassing in the area.
He is currently being held without bail.
Doctors feared DeChristopher’s retina had detached after the brutal sidewalk beating, but she avoided surgery
DeChristopher shared graphic injury photos online, warning others to stay alert in LA’s ‘mean streets’
The suspect was later arrested by LAPD and is being held without bail on an outstanding warrant
The horrifying assault came just days before another unprovoked attack unfolded across town in Brentwood, where a gardener was beaten with a large stick by a homeless man furious over yard work noise.
Rodolfo Roman was working at a home on June 23 when a shirtless man believed to be squatting in a nearby abandoned property stormed over and began screaming and cursing at him.
Ring camera footage captured the moment the man launched into a violent attack, striking Roman repeatedly in the head, face, and arm.
The savage beating left Roman covered in blood, with a broken arm and a deep head wound requiring staples.
He was hospitalized and remains uncertain when he’ll be able to return to work.
