On the afternoon of Monday, May 12, my boyfriend and I were waiting for our bus at the Udall bus station on Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon. What started as a normal day quickly turned into a terrifying nightmare when we became victims of an unprovoked and violent attack.

An adult female, visibly distressed, got off a bus, followed by an agitated adult male who then attempted to snatch her phone, believing that she was recording him. When two bystanders intervened to subdue him, my boyfriend stepped in to help. During the struggle, a hatchet fell from my boyfriend's waistband. The suspect managed to grab it and, in a horrifying turn of events, swung it at my boyfriend, striking him in the head.

As I rushed to help, yelling for the suspect to get off him, he then turned the hatchet on me, hitting my arm. This brief, crucial moment allowed my boyfriend to get back to his feet, but the suspect swung again, hitting his hand. As my boyfriend was still trying to gain control of the situation, i saw the severity of the wound on my arm and immediately went into shock. As i managed to get my boyfriends attention telling him repeatedly that we needed to go to the hospital, the suspect calmly walked away with the hatchet into the desert, where he was later apprehended by police. He is now being held on a $1million bond at the Pima County Jail and facing 2 counts of Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon and 2 counts of Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Injury.

This unprovoked act of violence has left us both with significant physical injuries and deep emotional trauma. My boyfriend sustained a serious head injury and a hand injury recieving 16 stitches between his head and his hand, and I suffered a severe arm injury, receiving 26 stitches. We are now facing mounting medical bills, the immediate need for rehabilitation, all while navigating the long road of healing from this terrifying experience.

We are reaching out to our community for support during this incredibly difficult time. Any contribution, no matter how small, will directly help us cover these unexpected medical expenses, rehabilitation, and essential living costs as we focus entirely on our recovery. Your generosity would mean the world to us as we navigate the immense aftermath of this traumatic event and work towards healing.

Thank you for your kindness, thoughts, and support.