City leaders and police in Venice held a community meeting after two women were brutally attacked near the canals. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News on April 25, 2024.
Residents who live near the Venice canals gathered Thursday to discuss new safety measures to adopt weeks after two women were brutally assaulted in the area.
Among the ideas explored to increase safety in the neighborhood were added street lights, foot patrols and a network of security cameras – all in effort to prevent more attacks like the one Mary Klein was victim to.
“He tried to kill me,” she told NBC4 from her hospital bed following the April 6 assault. “He knocked my two front teeth out.”
Klein was taking a stroll near the canals when she was randomly attacked by a man who police later identified as 29-year-old Anthony Jones. He was arrested in connection with Klein’s attack and another woman’s attack in the same area; he now faces charges that include attempted murder, rape, mayhem and torture.
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“Something needs to change, and let’s use our technology and our resources and our computers to get that stack of critical evidence that a judge will look at and say, ‘Oh, you got the facts correct,’” Klein said Thursday at the virtual community meeting.
The disturbing crimes left neighbors feeling uneasy and fearing for their safety.
“I know a lot of friends of mine, especially women, are pretty scared to walk alone in the canals, which is a very safe area,” said Saar Kline.
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Councilmember Traci Park said city leaders swiftly began to brainstorm ways they can keep residents safe.
“Immediately in the aftermath of these incidents, we started having conversations about lighting, street lighting,” Park said.
As a result of the assault, Mary Klein is continuing to recover from the severe bruises she suffered. She also had her jaw wired shut due to the severity of her injuries.
