Woman speaks out after being attacked from behind at SF corner store – NBC Bay Area

A San Francisco woman is speaking out after she says a woman attacked her from behind as she stopped at a store in the Potrero Hill neighborhood.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon and was caught on camera.

Surveillance video showed Kate Ryken entering the Kansas Food Market Tuesday afternoon and waving to the store owner. A woman in a pink sweatshirt comes in and grabs Ryken by the hair from behind.

The woman hits Ryken over the head with a bag containing a bottle of Jack Daniels and begins her attack. Ryken spoke to NBC Bay Area on Thursday about the incident.

“I was hit over the head with a plastic bag that had glass bottles in it and then she immediately started hitting me on the head,” she said. “I don’t know how often. I had no idea what was going on.”

The whole thing, which Ryken said she never saw coming, lasted less than 10 seconds and ended with the shopkeeper entering and throwing the woman out.

The video showed Ryken lying on the ground. She wondered who and why when she said she hadn’t had contact with anyone outside.

“When it happened on Tuesday afternoon, yesterday I was in complete shock,” she said. “I was incredibly angry and today I’m just completely overwhelmed. So we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

On Thursday, the woman, later identified as Jessica Blazee, pleaded not guilty at an arraignment. The San Francisco district attorney’s office charged the 26-year-old with two counts of assault.

Blazee was arrested when San Francisco police responded to the scene. NBC Bay Area learned Thursday that Blazee is also being held for a probation violation.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement: “It is random acts of violence like this that negatively impact feelings of safety.”

Jenkins added that her office is committed to “ensuring that we are appropriately held accountable for those who commit crimes.”

Ryken said the whole ordeal has left her feeling a little uneasy about her longtime neighborhood. But not enough to scare her away from her favorite corner store and the owner, who she said has become like family.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Ryken said. “He’s great. He’s my hero, but until recently he’s always been my hero. He’s like the nicest person in the world.”