On June 18, 52-year-old Donna DeChristopher was knocked unconscious after being punched multiple times by a man she believes lives in a nearby encampment near Thomas Starr King Middle School. She’s now calling on L.A. officials to act.
The assault left the 52-year-old with severe injuries, including a concussion, a broken nose, eye damage, and emotional distress. She believes the attacker continued hitting her while she lay unconscious.
Thankfully, a Good Samaritan who saw the attack stepped in to assist her.
Concerned for community safety, the 52-year-old is calling on law enforcement and city leaders to do more—highlighting the risk to children attending a nearby middle school.
“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 DeChristopher’s district released the following statement:
“While our work has yielded results, including a 40% 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.”
Within days of the attack, LAPD arrested a homeless man believed to be DeChristopher’s assailant. He had a prior arrest warrant and a history of trespassing in the area. He’s now being held without bail.
