EXCLUSIVE: Mom of 6-month-old may lose vision in eye after couple attacked by women on scooter in SF
"Citizens in San Francisco don't feel safe," Matt said.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It was only a few seconds that changed the lives of Matt and his wife forever. On Sunday, the couple was out for walk on 18th Street between Church and Dolores at around 4 p.m. when they were attacked by two women on a motorized scooter.
"As we were walking past the bus stop, all of a sudden we hear 'Get the F out of our way,'" Matt said.
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Matt says the couple, who have a 6-month-old child, turned around only to be instantly side swiped by two women riding on a motorized scooter.
He tells me after the collision, one of the women threw the scooter to the side and began attacking him.
"Closed fist punching me in the head and neck," Matt said.
Following the first few blows, Matt's wife, who asked us not to name her, tried to intervene pleading with the attacker to stop.
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"And at that point, the second female that was on the scooter grabs her by the hair and starts punching her in the face repeatedly winding up," Matt said.
Eventually, others nearby intervened separating Matt and his wife from the two women.
It was then that Matt was able to call 911, as the attackers fled the scene.
But the damage had already been done. Especially to Matt's wife, whose blood still stains the sidewalk where the incident happened days later.
"She had a CAT scan and has an orbital fracture, basically a fracture in her eye. She is at risk of possibly losing her vision. She may have to have surgery on her eye," Matt said.
The experience has left the couple traumatized. Not least of all, because this isn't the first time they say their family has been the victim of a crime in San Francisco.
"I already have an appointment to speak with a PTSD counselor because my son and I were assaulted on a Muni bus two weeks ago," Matt said.
In the aftermath, the family is calling on city leaders to do more to combat crime and improve public safety. They say, after decades of living in the city, they're considering moving away.
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"All of our elected officials need to recognize that this is a situation that is now out of control. Citizens in San Francisco don't feel safe," Matt said.
But for now, they're working on healing. Not just the physical, but also the mental trauma.
"I went out for a walk today for 20 minutes and needed to come home, just because being out is such a stressful thing," Matt said.
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