Attack by homeless man in L.A. leaves woman, 52, with broken nose, concussion
The violence unfolded on June 18 when Donna DeChristopher, 52, was walking home from running errands in what she describes as a normally safe, walkable area near her residence on Sunset Drive.
The 52-year-old spotted a homeless man that she's seen in the area and believes lives in a nearby encampment not far from Thomas Starr King Middle School.
She says the man, described as a Hispanic male in his 20's, ran up to her and punch her in the face at least three times before she went unconscious.
The 52-year-old, who said she suffered a concussion, a broken nose, complications with her eye and psychological street from the traumatic assault, said she may have been hit again while she was on the ground and blacked out.
2 brothers reported missing found dead off California highway
Fortunately, a Good Samaritan who witnessed what happened came to help her.
The 52-year-old is now calling on the police department, the district attorney and city leaders to do more to prevent these attacks, especially since there are children in the area who attend the 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.'
Just days after she was attacked, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested a homeless man believed to be DeChristopher's attacker, who has reportedly trespassed onto properties in the area.
The man had a previous warrant out for his arrest and is currently being held without bail.
KTLA has reached out to the district attorney's office for confirmation, asking if that arrest is linked to DeChristopher's assault and, if so, what charges he will likely be facing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Washington Post
3 men who went missing while fishing and swimming in Mississippi River found dead
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Three men who were reported missing while fishing and swimming on a sandbar in the Mississippi River have been found dead near Memphis, Tennessee, authorities said Wednesday. Search and rescue teams with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and other Memphis-area agencies began looking for the men Tuesday evening after they were reported missing near a boat ramp at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, authorities said. The search, which included aircraft, rescue boats and the use of sonar, was suspended Tuesday night because of darkness. It resumed Wednesday morning, the sheriff's office said. The first two bodies were recovered about 11 a.m. and the third about 12:45 p.m., the sheriff's office said. A cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner. The three men were described as Hispanic, ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, the county fire department said. Officials say the area has become increasingly popular for recreation at the state park in Shelby Forest, located north of Memphis. But the river is treacherous, with several hazards present, including strong currents, submerged items, branches and debris. 'There are eddy currents that can pull an Olympic swimmer under. You can be drawn into the channel and find yourself staring at a 24-unit barge that's the size of a skyscraper on its side coming straight at you with no way for the barge crew to have any idea that you are there,' the fire department said on Facebook. Authorities are investigating what happened to the men.
a day ago
3 men who went missing while fishing and swimming in Mississippi River found dead
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Three men who were reported missing while fishing and swimming on a sandbar in the Mississippi River have been found dead near Memphis, Tennessee, authorities said Wednesday. Search and rescue teams with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and other Memphis-area agencies began looking for the men Tuesday evening after they were reported missing near a boat ramp at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, authorities said. The search, which included aircraft, rescue boats and the use of sonar, was suspended Tuesday night because of darkness. It resumed Wednesday morning, the sheriff's office said. The first two bodies were recovered about 11 a.m. and the third about 12:45 p.m., the sheriff's office said. A cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner. The three men were described as Hispanic, ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, the county fire department said. Officials say the area has become increasingly popular for recreation at the state park in Shelby Forest, located north of Memphis. But the river is treacherous, with several hazards present, including strong currents, submerged items, branches and debris. 'There are eddy currents that can pull an Olympic swimmer under. You can be drawn into the channel and find yourself staring at a 24-unit barge that's the size of a skyscraper on its side coming straight at you with no way for the barge crew to have any idea that you are there,' the fire department said on Facebook.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Friday Night Latin District brings culture and community back to downtown L.A.
Ever since targeted raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement swept downtown L.A. in June — which were followed by protests and subsequent arrests — foot traffic in the area has greatly reduced, and local businesses have struggled to keep up the same momentum as before. As a result, downtown L.A. event coordinators banded together to revive the area's nightlife with the Friday Night Latin District: a coalition of Latino-owned bars dedicated to hosting weekly cultural celebrations. Comprising bars like Las Perlas, La Cita, the Association and A Toda Madre, the Friday Night Latin District is a corridor that offers a 'safe, reliable and culture-rich' experience for locals to kick off their weekend. 'Our goal is not to just bring all the big bars together,' said Kenny Castro-Andrade, founder of the nightlife collective Calle Ocho. 'We wanna work on a cycle of introducing a big venue that's already at capacity and then a smaller venue to redirect those people so that they can learn about a new venue they didn't know about,' he added. When Castro-Andrade moved to L.A. from Miami in 2020, he noticed the nightlife in downtown L.A. did not reflect the 48% Hispanic population that makes up the county (according to the 2023 Census). Inspired by the Wynwood district in Miami, he created Calle Ocho with friends Vlademir Onofre and George Trevino in November 2024 as a way of integrating young Latinos into the downtown L.A. scene. In June, Calle Ocho held one of its first events at the Association on 6th Street. Patrons were evacuated from the building because of smoke filtering in through the shared ventilation from the building next door — but instead of sending everyone home, they encouraged them to take the party to Las Perlas. With this rapid act of problem-solving, and in the face of a bad situation, the Friday Night Latin District was born. Castro-Andrade aspires to bring the rhythm back by growing the Latin District and involving more venues. Without the people who make up the heart of L.A., from patrons to bartenders and other service industry workers, the nightlife of the city could cease to exist. 'Friday Night Latin District gives Angelenos a chance to rediscover downtown in a new light, while also giving local and small businesses the support they need during a time of need,' Castro-Andrade said.
