Seattle police immediately recognize suspect in elderly woman attack
SEATTLE - Seattle police have released new video of an attack on an elderly woman in downtown Seattle on Dec. 5, showing how officers immediately recognized and tracked down the violent suspect.
The suspect, Fale Vaigalepa Pea, is known by Seattle PD as a "violent person" and is a previously convicted felon for assault.
The backstory:
Cameras show Pea swinging a wooden stick with a metal screw on the end of it, approaching a 75-year-old woman standing at a crosswalk, and striking her in the face from behind.
The attack left the victim with serious facial injuries, causing her to be hospitalized and undergo emergency surgery. A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover her medical costs.
After the attack, officers used surveillance footage to track the suspect's location, taking Pea into custody soon after. He was later booked into King County Jail for first-degree assault.
Police quickly identified the suspect as Pea, saying he's also known for random assaults in the past.
"He's notorious for random assaults on 3rd," one officer said while Pea was being arrested.
What's next:
Pea was officially charged with first-degree assault on Dec. 11. He is currently being evaluated to see if he's mentally competent to stand trial. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department, King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.