Rape survivor describes horrifying injuries after homeless man attacked her while she walked her dogs
WARNING: This article contains details of incidents of sexual assault that some readers may find traumatic. Discretion is advised
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA: A woman has shared the gruesome details of her assault, which she had to endure at the hands of a homeless man, soon after he was released from jail. Marissa Young of Torrance, California, was walking her dogs in a field when Darrell Dean Waters pounded on her on July 31. The alleged assaulter did not just rape her but also left her without eight teeth and a crushed nose.
Recalling the trauma, the 44-year-old woman told KTLA, “I was tackled from behind, I heard nothing. I didn’t have headphones in, I wasn’t looking at my phone, I was just walking straight forward to my destination.” She also went on to explain, “This person punched me in the face, closed-fisted, 15 to 20 times at least. My nose is broken in four different places and this bone was shattered here [she points to her upper cheek area]. You can still see a lot of swelling in my face.”
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However, eventually, Young managed to save herself from the 46-year-old suspected rapist. She asserted, “Probably three-quarters of the attack I fought back, cause I was fighting for my life. It was a crime of opportunity, because I'm of small stature and my back was to him.”
Young also expressed her anger towards the authorities and Waters, who was freed from jail mere days before the tragedy. The man was reportedly nabbed on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of a dagger. “Once something like this happens to you, it sort of changes your mind as to what the laws should be. It's a difficult thing to discuss, cause I don't want to warn women necessarily, because we have to be able to go out and do things like walk our dogs,” Young said, according to CBS News.
As per reports, the woman now has to go through eight dental implants apart from other treatments and therapy for her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She has already undergone five surgeries in three months. To help her financially, her friend Debbie Keyser has started a GoFundMe, which read, “Despite efforts to fight off her attacker, she was beaten severely and suffered significant injuries. Her injuries included but were not limited to: multiple facial fractures (nose, eyesocket, upper and lower jaw), extensive bruising and swelling, cuts and scrapes all over her body, and many teeth knocked out. To those who know her, she is physically unrecognizable.”
“She will need months to heal from the physical aspects of this attack and will require extensive dental reconstruction. Beyond her physical healing, she will likely need much longer to recover from the emotional wounds. She is currently unable to work due to her injuries and will need assistance to support herself while she focuses on healing and possibly relocating," the page further added.
“This GoFundMe page is the only approved source to donate to the survivor. Please help us show her that she is not alone as she recovers from this attack. This case is still being investigated, and anyone with information is asked to contact Torrance Police Department detectives at (310) [phone redacted] with information that may lead to additional victims; callers should reference case number 220029321,” the fundraiser added.
Meanwhile, Waters was reportedly arrested on August 1 and slapped with one felony count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration with force.