EUCLID, Ohio — A 70-year-old woman who was the victim of a brutal and brazen attack captured on camera is now speaking out to help others.
“My message is: heighten your awareness and be safe out there,” said the woman, who we are not identifying.
It was about 8:30 a.m. Sunday when the woman went to a Euclid convenience store. The woman, who said she is always aware of her surroundings, spotted the man when she walked into the store but did not see him when she came out.
“The suspect was actually hiding behind a vehicle parked next to her," said Euclid Police Captain Mitch Houser. "She has her keys in her hand and is walking up to the door when he rushes her from the front and attacks her."
The 70-year-old woman struggled to keep her keys and her truck.
“When my key ring broke, I went crashing to the ground,” said the woman. That's when she got a severe injury to her leg which required 29 stitches.
“I’m very grateful to be alive,” she said. “I prayed to God I wouldn’t be shot or hurt.
The attacker took off with her truck and her keys. Police said the truck was found about 20 minutes later in Cleveland, but the attacker was not found. Now police are trying to put a name to a face and are asking for the public’s help.
“Anyone could look at her and see a family member or a loved one in that lady," Houser said. "Anyone who would do such a horrible thing to somebody is dangerous in my book."
The woman said she is grateful to be alive and thankful to the Euclid Police Department and workers in the store for helping her.
Police continue to search for the man. Anyone with information about the attack or the man is asked to call the Euclid Police Department 216-289-8505.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
