Olympic silver medalist Kim Glass has facial fractures after pipe attack by man on Los Angeles street
Olympic silver medalist Kim Glass says that she was attacked by a random man with a pipe while walking on a Los Angeles street.
Glass shared video on Instagram speaking about the attack that shows multiple facial injuries including fractures around her right eye and cuts that required stitches. (Warning, the video seen here and included above shows graphic injuries.) Glass' right eye was swollen shut, and she had a gash on the bridge of her nose.
She told her followers that the attack happened in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday as she was leaving lunch with a friend.
"He had something in his hand," Glass said. … "He just looked at me with some pretty hateful eyes. As I turned to go tell my friend ‘I think something’s wrong with him. I think he’s gonna hit a car.’
"Before I knew it, a big metal bolt, like pipe hit me. It happened so fast. He literally flung it from the street. He was not even close to me at all. They got him, they held him down until the cops came, ambulance came."
Police told the Los Angeles Times that officers responded to a report of the attack around 2:30 p.m. and found multiple bystanders holding the alleged attacker down. The suspect identified as 50-year-old Semeon Tesfamarian was taken into custody without incident, per the report. Police told the Associated Press that he's charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Glass, 37, won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics with the USA Volleyball team. She was an All-American and All-Pac 12 player at Arizona. She's worked as a model including an appearance in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Glass thanked her friends and supporters and said that she believes her vision will recover
"I love you guys so much," Glass said. "Just know that I’m OK. ... Be safe out there. Keep your head on a swivel, off your phones. You shouldn’t have to be fearful when you walk, but it’s true. You guys just be safe."