Man on bicycle slashing people's faces as he rides by, Los Angeles police say
Update: Los Angeles police said late Wednesday that they have arrested the suspect. Read the latest update here. Our earlier story is below.
A man has been slashing people's faces as he rides by them on a bicycle in and around Los Angeles, police said. Investigators told CBS Los Angeles eight people have been attacked within the past two weeks.
On Monday morning, a male victim in South Los Angeles was slashed in the face with an edged weapon as he was standing near a bus stop, police said in a statement. Minutes later, a female victim was slashed, suffering injuries to the left side of her face and ear.
The police said the victims were expected to survive. Similar incidents were also reported in Los Angeles on March 20 and in the neighboring city of South Gate on March 27.
In another incident, a victim was able to fight off the suspect after he apparently tried to take their purse, Los Angeles police Detective Steve Garcia told CBS Los Angeles. "The suspect rode off laughing, and, you know, there's a lot of great people that live in this division and live in this city, and with a suspect like this on the loose, we've got to do something," Garcia told the station.
Police described the suspect as a Hispanic man between the ages of 18 and 30. The suspect has short hair, is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds.
Police released pictures and surveillance video of the suspect on his bicycle, which was described as a black and green mountain bike.