Long Beach authorities are on the hunt for a man accused of savagely attacking a local woman as she made her way to her car to head to work early Saturday morning. Beth Quintana, a 44-year-old single mother of two, suffered serious injuries during the assault on the quiet streets of Long Beach around 4:30 a.m., according to KABC.
The man, mounted on a bicycle, approached Quintana with ill intent that materialized into a night of horror. Quintana told KABC, "He said I have a knife and when I saw it I was like he's gonna stab me in the stomach. So I just grabbed it and it fell to the floor." Despite her efforts to defend herself, the attacker left her with a broken nose, an eyesocket in need of surgery, and her hand deeply slashed—her finger nearly severed.
In a desperate struggle on Cedar Avenue and 25th Street, the assailant demanded Quintana's belongings, even as she braved the fear and fought back. A dark holiday tale unfolded as the attacker made away with her purse, along with her money saved up for her children's Christmas presents. Quintana, with harrowing determination, refused to yield, telling KABC, "I was about to stop fighting and I was like no I'm not gonna stop. I'm not gonna allow him to get away with this. I just kept fighting him."
The suspect remains at large. To ease the burden of unpaid time off and medical expenses, a roommate initiated a GoFundMe campaign. Quintana holds on to a glimmer of hope, saying in a Facebook comment obtained by KTLA, "Thank you everyone for your prayers. The guy had a knife but I was able to get it from him. I fought for my life and I made it. I’m not ok but with time I will be."
Long Beach Police urge anyone with information to reach out at (562) 435-6711 in hopes of preventing another citizen from suffering a similar fate.
