The family of a partially blind woman who was left brain dead after an attack demands justice. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News on May 20, 2024.
An East Los Angeles family is demanding justice after a partially blind woman was attacked and declared brain dead.
“She’s my life, she's my love, she’s always with me what am I going to do now,” Jose Rangel Hernandez, the victim’s husband, said.
Rangel Hernandez said doctors told him his wife of 30 years no longer has brain activity.
Maria Guadelupe Vargas, who is partially blind, fell and hit her head. Rangel Hernandez said she was trying to help him while he was being attacked by a homeless man.
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“When the guy come to me I don’t want no trouble so I say no english so he start hitting me for no english he start hitting me 3 , 4 times,” Rangel Hernandez said.
The attack happened on March 9 around 10:30 a.m. Rangel Hernandez said he was in the drive thru of the McDonalds on Soto Street when the homeless man began hitting him through his open window.
Rangel Hernandez said he got out of the car to defend himself. Surveillance footage showed Vargas slowly making her way to the two men, trying to help her husband.
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“The man bumped her with his body and dropped her and she hit her head bc of that she had heart attack,” Veronica Rangel, the victim’s stepdaugher, said.
Vargas was taken to the hospital and released after a week, but was readmitted because her health kept declining, and today the doctors told the family the awful news.
“That was his forever partner, someone he thought he was going to spend a lot more time with,” William Cantabrana, the victim’s grandson said.
The family is devastated, but also angry. They said police initially didn’t want to arrest the man, and when he was finally taken into custody they said he was charged with a misdemeanor.
“And the guy is free they catch him and let go. he does something else wrong catch him and let him go again,” Rangel Hernandez said.
They want more action to be taken in hopes of preventing something like this from happening again.
“We are asking that the DA's office give this a second or third look, whatever that may be,” Moises Castillo, an advocate for the family, said.
“I want what my whole family wants, justice, for it to not just be a waste of life,” Cantabrana said.
