A 65-year-old street vendor was viciously stabbed in an apparent random attack caught on video Tuesday in Hawthorne, California, ABC 7 reported.
The victim, a flower vendor named Juan Diaz, said he had only seconds to react after he was accosted by a man on a scooter, according to ABC 7.
“I was just selling my flowers… and he started staring at me,” Diaz told NBC 4. “Gave me a mean look. I put my head down, and then he came to me and started pushing me. He had a blade in his hand and pretty much wanted to kill me.” (RELATED: Video Shows Terrifying Moment Man Allegedly Attacks DC Preschool Teachers Walking With Students)
65 year-old flower vendor gets stabbed multiple times in Inglewood, California pic.twitter.com/2oABNwm0Si
— BAY AREA STATE OF MIND (@YayAreaNews) November 3, 2023
As the attack unfolded, a bystander captured it on camera while others looked on, according to ABC 7.
“If I didn’t grab the scooter, I don’t know what would have happened,” Diaz said. “He would have killed me right there.” He added, “I wasn’t thinking about fighting. I had two bouquets of flowers when I hit him in the head with the flowers to defend myself.”
Diaz’s chest was pierced by a stab wound that came dangerously close to his heart, according to ABC 7.
“He tried to stab me. I think he tried to hit me in the neck or face. I moved my head. That’s when he hit me in the chest,” Diaz said.
A woman who turned out to be a nurse rushed to Diaz’s aid before he was taken to a hospital, according to NBC 4.
“When I saw him stab my chest, I didn’t feel anything until 30 seconds later,” Diaz said. “I looked down and saw that I was covered in blood. And a lady came to me and said, ‘Sit down, sir,’ and I answered, ‘Why?’ And, the lady again said, ‘Sit down, you are bleeding a lot.'”
As a result of the attack, Diaz is currently bedridden, ABC 7 reported.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for the suspect who fled the scene on the scooter, NBC 4 reported.
Heidi Diaz, the victim’s granddaughter, told ABC 7 that it’s scary to know Diaz’s attacker is still on the loose.
“It’s not fair,” she said. “Today was my grandpa. Who knows who’s next.”