By Tim Clifford

The family that preys together
Family bonding time took on a new and grotesque meaning following an assault in a bathroom stall in Roxhill Park on July 20. Police were dispatched to the park and met up with the victim around 9:20 p.m. near the 9200 block of 29 Ave. S.W., minutes after the assault had occurred.

According to the victim he was using the facilities in the park when he heard the suspect; a man presumed to be in his 30’s, come into the bathroom and begin waiting outside the stall door. After a few moments the suspect began yelling at the victim to get off the toilet because his son needed to use the bathroom. The victim, still on the toilet, began yelling back at the man “leave me the f*** alone”.

In response the victim heard the suspect crack open a beer and seconds later was hit in the head with the full can when the suspect lobbed it over the stall door at him. The suspect then called his son over to him and instructed him to begin urinating on the stall door. While the child was urinating the suspect noticed the victim’s backpack near the door and told his son to pee on the bag, which he did before the victim could pull it away.

To make this situation even more disturbing the mother of the child then came into the bathroom and began yelling at the suspect for taking the child from her. Once they were done bickering amongst themselves the entire family began yelling to the victim that they would be waiting outside the bathroom to pelt him with rocks when he came out.

When police met up with the victim they stayed with him as he gathered his belongings and decided to monitor him as he made his way to the bus stop. No descriptions were available for the members of this family.

Restaurant assault
On July 19 a customer at a restaurant on the 4700 block of California Ave. SW. suffered a brutal and unexpected assault from another patron just before midnight. When police arrived they found the victim sitting on the curb with multiple lacerations around his eyes being consoled by his friends.
According to witnesses and the victim he met a man, the suspect, at the bar while he was out drinking with his friends. When the victim went outside to smoke a cigarette the suspect came outside with him and the two began arguing over the details of a recent trial. At some point during this smoke and conversation the victim and his friends decided to leave and started heading south down California Ave.

As they were walking the suspect ran up from behind and tackled the victim to the ground. The two wrestled on the ground for a while though the victim doesn’t remember any details of this altercation and believes he blacked out after he was tackled. At any rate, while they were on the ground the suspect began rapidly punching the victim in the face. After five or six hits the suspect got up and kicked the victim in the face while he was on the ground.

Paramedics and police both recommended the victim go to a hospital immediately.

The victim’s friends told officers they would drive him to a hospital later after he had a chance to clean up.
The suspect is described as a white male with a ponytail, about 6’2, weighing 180 pounds and wearing a yellow t-shirt with brown shorts. An area search turned up negative results. It is believed that the suspect ran back into the restaurant and used a door that leads to a back alley to flee the scene. The suspect remains at large.

Crimes reported between July 17 and July 24

Burglaries by block: 3600 block of 49 Ave. S.W., 8600 block of 20 Ave. S.W., 8600 block of 17 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 16 Ave. S.W., 700 block of S. Southern St.

Car prowls by block: 2600 block of S.W. Andover St., 4100 block of 25 Ave. S.W., 2900 block of S.W. Findlay St., 6000 block of 41 Ave. S.W., 3000 block of S.W. Graham St., 7100 block of 28 Ave. S.W., 9200 block of 16 Ave. S.W., 9100 block of 4 Ave. S.

Car thefts by block: S.W. Lander St./ 42 Ave. S.W., 3200 block of California Ave. S.W., 41 Ave. S.W./ S.W. Edmunds St., 7700 block of 12 Ave. S.W., 8100 block of 32 Ave. S.W., 1000 block of S. Henderson St., 3700 block of S.W. 106 St.