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Chilling images show injuries woman suffered after being beaten and bitten by road-rage driver who smashed her car with a crowbar
Disturbing footage has captured the moment a woman allegedly launched a violent road-rage attack in Los Angeles, with pictures of the injuries sustained by the victim also released.
Samantha Baez-Vargas, from South Los Angeles, said the terrifying confrontation began at around 4am on Saturday when the two women became stuck on a narrow, one-way street and were unable to pass one another.
Baez-Vargas discusses terrifying incident that left her injured
Baez-Vargas claimed that the other motorist was driving in the wrong direction and asked her to reverse to make room, but, instead, the woman allegedly got out of her vehicle and began attacking Baez-Vargas' car with a crowbar.
Video of the incident appears to show the suspect approaching the car before repeatedly striking its headlights, windshield, and driver's-side window with the weapon.
As the attack unfolded, someone could be heard shouting in the background: “Are you deada**? What’s wrong with you?”
The situation allegedly became even more violent when Baez-Vargas got out of her vehicle, where the suspect is accused of turning the crowbar on her, hitting her with it, and repeatedly attempting to bite her.
Speaking to Fox 11, Baez-Vargas described being left stunned by the sudden violence: “I didn’t know how to react. I was shocked. I didn’t know how to defend myself,” she admitted.
Reflecting on the terrifying ordeal, Baez-Vargas said she feared for her life after being taken to hospital, even showing the broadcaster bruises across her body, including marks that appeared consistent with bite injuries.
“After the fact, I was in the hospital. I felt like I could have lost my life,” she explained.
She recalled how the alleged attacker continued despite her expectations that the violence would stop, “I thought she would stop and she didn’t,” Baez-Vargas said.
“She smacked me in the head with the crowbar at that point, and she snatched my phone out of my hand.”
Investigation handed to the police
Footage of the alleged attack has since been handed to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which confirmed that investigators have identified the suspect and are attempting to find her.
“South Los Angeles Station detectives have been actively investigating this case and have positively identified the suspect. Detectives are currently working to locate and apprehend her,” the department said in a statement.
While the suspect’s identity remains undisclosed, the incident has left Baez-Vargas deeply shaken, following her mother, Elizabeth Vargas, who appeals to the public to help bring the alleged attacker to justice.
"Please do your job. This evil can’t be out there," she pleaded.