Woman And Dog Stabbed In Samurai Sword Attack

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrested a 23-year-old suspect after he allegedly stabbed a woman and her dog with a sword in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood late Tuesday.

Wilshire Patrol officers arrived at the 1200 block of Victoria Ave after being notified that a man attacked a 43-year-old woman and her dog with a samurai sword around 11:20 p.m., the LAPD announced in a statement. Authorities then found a woman and the dog lying on the street suffering from several wounds by the sword and immediately applied a tourniquet to the victim’s arm, according to the NY Post.

Officers spotted the suspect, Eric Herrera, walking in the middle of the street with the sword upon arrival and attempted to “de-escalate” the situation, according to the police statement. Herrera reportedly refused to comply with the officers’ orders to put the sword down, and instead moved towards them with the weapon. Authorities then tased the suspect and took him into custody on a $100,000 bond. He has been charged with attempted murder, according to the police statement.

“Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and gave the suspect verbal commands to put the weapon down,” the LAPD said. “The suspect refused to cooperate with the officer’s commands as he approached officers with sword in hand. The officers utilized less lethal force and a taser was deployed. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the scene and transported the injured victim to a local hospital where she is recovering from her injuries in stable condition, according to the department. Reports claimed the dog was killed in the attack, but police did not provide information on the animal’s condition, according to the Los Angeles Times.

An unidentified alleged family member told KTLA-TV that the incident revolved around a family dispute where a son attacked his mother.