2 women attacked in Sherman Oaks within hours of each other, seemingly by same suspect

FOX 11 Digital Team
·2 min read
31

LOS ANGELES - At least two women in Sherman Oaks have been attacked in broad daylight along Ventura Boulevard, leaving them injured and hoping police can catch the attacker.

One victim, who preferred to remain anonymous, recounted her experience back on April 18. "I walk because I don't have a car, and I am going home," she said. "I see the guy kind of standing here and whatever with his arms just kind of loitering and lingering, and I am like, yeah, he is not right, let me steer clear."

But even despite her caution, she was still attacked. "I saw out of the corner of my eye he was turning this way, away from me, but he was just winding up and boom, right on the side of my head," she said. "I was terrified, honestly I didn't know what to do."

The video shows a man in a black hoodie swinging at her head as she walks down the sidewalk.

That attack happened just hours after another woman was attacked nearby, around 9 a.m. That interaction was also captured on security footage.

"As soon as I got out of the car, before I was understanding what was going on, he jumped at me and pushed me very harsh," the second victim said. "[I] must have rolled in good way because I hit my head and a few other places, but it could have been much worse."

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She said the man didn't say anything or take anything — he just attacked.

"All I was focused on was calling the police and not letting this guy run away," the second victim said. "But the police never came. The guy, at some point, left. I was able to get a good photo of him when I was already leaving with my car."

The photo showed the alleged attacker, in clothes similar to the suspect's in the second attack, hanging around Ventura Boulevard. Business owners too afraid to speak on camera told FOX 11's Christina Gonzalez that the man is one of several vagrants who hang out in the area, despite mutiple complaints to police.

"I was not able to file a complaint at all during the day. I tried all day," the second victim said. "I really wanted the police to catch him… He is dangerous and no one is stopping him."

FOX 11 has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment and is awaiting a response.