Woman attacked and left covered in blood by stranger in random attack in Long Island City, Queens

LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (WABC) — A woman speaks out after being randomly attacked and thanks the Good Samaritan who came to her aid when no one else did.

Runing Lao said she was attacked outside a Chipotle on Jackson Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday.

She said the woman attacked her for no reason.

When Lao tried to defend herself, the woman took her umbrella, broke it in half and cut her face with it.

“She just attacked me for no reason. At first I was shocked and scared and tried to defend myself,” Lao said.

Lao said without the Good Samaritan, her injuries might have been worse.

“The way the woman hit her… it’s lucky she can still walk,” said Good Samaritan Jerome David.

David said he was running behind Lao when he noticed the attack and intervened.

“She tried to run away in that direction and I grabbed her right there and held her down. She hit me and broke my glasses. Then she ran over there and I ran after her and pinned her to the ground,” David said.

He said he made a quick decision to protect a stranger in need.

“Nobody did anything. It could have been my sister, my wife, my girlfriend or anyone else,” David said.

Police responded within minutes and arrested the suspect, 34-year-old Adriana Garcia. She is charged with second- and third-degree assault.

Lao is grateful for David.

“I think he really saved me,” she said.

Now she is determined not to let fear dictate her life anymore.

“I still love the city and hope that measures can be taken to make the city safe again,” Lao said.

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