Vacaville Mom Attacked In Front Of Children By Stranger While Shopping
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — A mom was beaten in a Vacaville parking lot in broad daylight by a complete stranger as her children watched.
The attack happened in just off of Interstate 80 near Walmart, Sam's Club and the outlet stores.
Angela doesn't know the first thing about being in a fight, so when a woman came out from nowhere and attacked her, she was happy many jumped in to help by calling police.
"It was insane. It was absolutely insane."
At first it didn't seem real to this mother of three.
Angela, who didn't want to reveal her last name, had just finished shopping at Walmart with her girls on Wednesday afternoon.
As she loaded her groceries into her SUV, she says a woman walked up, said nothing and attacked her.
"I think I kept screaming, 'Who are you? What are you doing?' I was in such shock. I've never been in a fight, let alone someone attacking me."
Angela says the woman wouldn't stop.
"She's on top of me, she's hitting my shoulder, my neck. I put my arm up to defend myself."
And her three girls saw it all.
"I turn around and they are crying."
The commotion caught the attention of other shoppers who came over to help and called police.
"It was a random act," said Vacaville officer Nichole King. "There was no known motive. It occurred in the middle of daylight, in a crowded Walmart parking lot, in front of her children."
Before officers arrived, the woman ran off and jumped into a nearby car that sped away.
Police say it is an isolated incident and that they will be reviewing surveillance footage to try and track down the attacker.
But what's strange to Angela is what the suspect didn't do.
"Everyone's first question is, 'Oh my gosh, did she take your purse? Did she take your wallet?' And I say no, it was in plain sight."
So why would a woman approach a mother of three and just start beating her? Angela has a couple of ideas.
"It could be a gang thing. A gang initiation. A prank. Something for a fighting video."
A random attack that's left Angela feeling unsafe, not only for herself, but for her children.
"I didn't think they would ever be witness to something like that, especially at their ages right now."
Police are working to track down the suspect.
Angela says for the next few weeks, she won't be shopping alone.
