A man was hospitalized Thursday afternoon after a woman allegedly struck him in the head with a metal object near Olive and Marks avenues in Fresno, then fled before officers could arrive. The victim is now listed in stable condition, and investigators are still searching for the suspect as the case remains open.
Police described the attacker only as a woman who ran from the scene before patrol units reached the intersection, according to The Fresno Bee. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. No further details about a possible relationship between the suspect and victim, the exact nature of the metal object, or her direction of flight have been released.
A Corridor With a Violent History
Thursday's attack is not the first serious crime to hit this stretch of Olive Avenue. In January 2022, Fresno police investigated a homicide at the very same intersection of Olive and Marks avenues after 40-year-old Mayra Barajas was found suffering from a fatal gunshot wound along the roadside, according to the Fresno Police Department. An on-duty sheriff's deputy had spotted the victim while on patrol.
More recently, the broader Olive Avenue corridor has seen a string of violent incidents. Less than two weeks before this latest assault, a 28-year-old man was fatally shot following a late-night verbal disturbance near Olive and Linden avenues in Fresno's Tower District, part of what Hoodline previously reported. In August, Fresno police arrested a 43-year-old suspect connected to a shooting during a birthday gathering on Olive Avenue near Lucerne Avenue that involved 11 rounds fired, a case Hoodline also covered after the suspect reportedly rammed an undercover police car before being arrested.
Elsewhere in Fresno this fall, pedestrians have faced other sudden attacks. On August 9, a pedestrian near Belmont Avenue and Third Street was attacked from behind in broad daylight, suffering a broken leg while suspects stole his phone, in an incident Hoodline reported at the time. Police had issued a public call for help identifying those suspects, a search that echoes the one now underway for the woman involved in Thursday's Olive Avenue assault.
What Charges Could Follow an Arrest
If identified and arrested, the suspect could face charges under California Penal Code Section 245(a)(1), which covers assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm. The statute is a wobbler offense, meaning it can be charged as a felony punishable by up to four years in county jail and fines up to $10,000, or as a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in county jail, according to the Law Offices of J. Patrick Carey. Whether the object used in this case would qualify as a deadly weapon under the statute would depend on the circumstances.
Citywide Crime Trends and How to Report Tips
Fresno has also seen other violent incidents, including shootings on Olive Avenue.
Even so, corridors like Olive Avenue continue to see sporadic violent flare-ups. Anyone with information about Thursday's assault is urged to contact Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP, which accepts anonymous tips by phone. Tips can be submitted anonymously. Police have not released any additional details about the suspect's appearance or the specific object used in the attack, and the investigation remains active.
