Woman attacked by stranger while walking her dog in Fairfax – NBC Los Angeles

A Los Angeles woman raised concerns about public safety after she was brutally attacked while walking her dog in the middle of the day in the Fairfax neighborhood.

The victim, Sigal Engelberg, said she noticed an apparently homeless person across the street around 4:30 p.m. on June 24.

She tried to avoid him because she thought the man looked “mentally unstable and disturbed,” but he crossed the street, approached her from behind and attacked her.

“He hit me on the cheek from behind so hard that I fell to the ground,” Engelberg said, explaining that the attack left her with abrasions and bleeding on her knees and arms.

“I lost several layers of skin,” Engelberg said, as her dog was also knocked down and injured in the incident.

Two passersby stopped to call police, but it took an hour for LAPD officers to arrive, Engelberg said.

The LAPD confirmed the robbery, but added that its officers were called away shortly after arriving to respond to a report of a stolen car. Instead, West Hollywood Sheriff’s officers who happened to be passing by stopped to assist and took a report for the LAPD.

Engelberg expressed concern about further potential victims.

“Other people in the neighborhood told me that he attacked other women,” she said, adding that another woman in the area saw the same man throwing stones at other women.

“I’ve lived here for 10 years and nothing like this has ever happened. I really hope they can control the area better,” she said.

Engelberg described the man as about 6 feet tall and muscular. He urged anyone who sees him to contact the authorities immediately to prevent further attacks.