A young woman has a challenging road to recovery after being brutally stabbed in broad daylight.

Kayli Watts was settling into her new life after relocating to Los Angeles when she was viciously attacked during a morning stroll. At roughly 11:30 a.m. on October 10, the 24-year-old was minding her business, strolling southbound on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood when the according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They explained in a release over the weekend: 

“An unhoused male, later identified as 30-year-old Jonathan Cole, was walking in the opposite direction. As the two passed each other, Cole, without provocation, stabbed the victim in the head with a pair of scissors.”

Whoa!! Completely unprovoked?! That’s SO scary… What kind of world are we living in where it’s not even safe to walk down a sidewalk? The report continued: 

“The victim, with the scissors embedded into her head, fled to a local restaurant, where she asked for help and then collapsed on the floor.”

“Embedded into her head”? And she’s alive? Not only that, she was able to flee the situation and get to safety?! Wow.

But it wasn’t over. The “unhoused male” wasn’t finished: 

“Cole continued walking northbound where he encountered a male and female couple waiting at a bus stop. Cole asked them for a light, and when the female replied, ‘no,’ Cole, again unprovoked, threw a full jar of pickles, striking the female in the shoulder. The male chased Cole to the front of a local supermarket where store security guards were able to detain him until LAPD officers arrived.”

It’s a good job he was apprehended — who knows what other sort of bodily damage he could have continued to inflict if hadn’t been.

As for Kayli, police say she was “transported to a local hospital and is currently recovering in stable condition.” Her mother, Amy Watts, told KTLA her daughter immediately went into surgery, and has suffered a traumatic brain injury, noting a long journey to both physical and mental recovery, claiming she may suffer long-term damage to her balance and vision. The surgeon referred to the weapon as “garden shears,” noting their four-inch length. According to a GoFundMe set up by Kayli’s “best friend,” she will be recovering in the hospital “for the next 2 weeks.” As for Cole, Amy explained to the outlet:

“There is no ill regard toward this human, no anger, no bad feelings. We’ve been a foster family for 15 years taking care of some severely mentally ill individuals. She understands that this is a very sick person.”

She described the incident as a “social and systemic failure,” adding:

“This is a problem that we as a society have to look at and figure out what’s next, because this is just going to continue to get worse.”

It should be noted that Kayli’s mother serves as a psychiatric nurse in North California. She knows firsthand what mental illness does to people. Those who were a danger to themselves and others used to be cared for in government facilities — but, you know, Reagan happened. Sigh.

As of now, Cole is facing one count of attempted murder, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. His bail is set at over $3 million. See footage from the attack (below):

We hope Kayli is able to make a full recovery. Share your support in the comments (below).

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