Man Who Allegedly Attacked Boy, 8, In Land Park Area Rearrested
UPDATE: Richard Lopez, the man accused of attacking an eight-year-old boy while he was walking with his mother near Freeport Boulevard, has been rearrested and booked into jail.
Just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, police were called out to the 7400 block of Rush River Drive after it was reported that someone was causing a disturbance. The caller said they recognized the man as the suspect who allegedly hit the boy.
Police arrived at the scene and arrested 53-year-old Richard Lopez for the felony warrant related to the assault.
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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A trip to get donuts turned violent after a stranger allegedly attacked an 8-year-old Sacramento boy in broad daylight.
Megan Gash and her 8-year-old son were walking home after getting donuts at Marie's Donuts on Freeport Boulevard when, she says, 53-year-old Richard Lopez attacked her son out of nowhere.
"Honestly, I was terrified because my first thought was he was going to grab my son and take him," Gash explained.
Sacramento police say the attack happened just before 8 a.m. on April 1.
Gash previously noticed Lopez acting strangely and waited for him to pass by, but moments later, he turned and targeted her son, she says.
"He circumvented me and went right behind me and hit my son in the face," she explained. "He didn't go for me -- he went for my son, that's intentional and that's just crazy to me," said Gash.
Gash suspects Lopez is homeless. He was booked and released from jail but never showed up to court. Authorities have issued a felony warrant for his arrest.
Jason Chapman is the assistant manager at nearby Taylor's market. He's planning to put Lopez's mug shot up in the store to keep the neighborhood informed.
"Just to keep people safe, that is pretty crazy, I've never heard of anything like that, especially not around here," said Chapman.
Kristina Rodgers, vice president of the Land Park Community Association, says she is concerned Lopez was released in the first place without warning neighbors.
If he is in our community, we want to know, we want to warn our community about it. We need to alert everybody so we can protect our children," she said.
Gash's son is okay physically, but she is concerned about potential mental trauma from the attack.
"I can tell by some of the things that he says that there is some emotional trauma there, and so we are finding him a therapist and going to get him treatment," she explained.
Still shocked by the surprise slap, Gash believes more should be done to address homelessness in the city.
"Not only do I want him off the street, but it's obvious that Sacramento has a growing homeless problem," she explained. "My god, what else are we waiting to happen?" she said. "I don't want another kid to get hurt."
Lopez is facing a felony child endangerment charge. Police are asking for the community's help to find him.
"The safety of our community is our highest priority. We have and will continue to dedicate a number of resources throughout the city to attempt to locate Lopez," said South Area Police Captain Adam Green in a statement to CBS13. "We encourage anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Sacramento Police Department," he said.
