84-Year-Old Daly City Man Attacked From Behind Outside Home
By Da Lin
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DALY CITY, California (KPIX) — Police in Daly City are investigating an unprovoked attack on an 84-year-old grandfather outside his house that was caught by surveillance cameras.
On Friday evening just before 6 p.m., Salomon Hernandez had just finished mowing his front lawn at his house on Higate Drive. As he tried to empty the grass, a man ran up from behind, jumped and kicked the grandfather in the back. The force knocked him down against a wall.
“I see a little bit of the guy when I turned around. [He ran] away,” said Hernandez.
The surveillance footage showed Hernandez couldn’t get up and stayed on a ground for several minutes. His wife eventually heard him and came over to help him up.
“A lot of pain, lots of pain,” said Hernandez.
He said shock and confusion turned to anger.
“This is the second time it happened to me,” he said.
Hernandez said the last attack was in September of 2021, about six months ago. Someone also kicked him from behind while he was working on the yard. That incident led to his kids setting up the surveillance camera.
“We’re like, ‘Not again!’ We’re angered. We’re surprised. But then we actually finally saw that video. It was hard to see, to see my dad on the floor and being attacked like that from behind,” said Hernandez’s daughter, Diana Cruz.
The family believes the attacks were targeted and it may be the same person. Hernandez said he doesn’t have any enemies. He’s lived at his Daly City house for more than 25 years and has a good relationship with all the neighbors.
“Why? What does this guy want from me?” asked Hernandez.
None of the family members recognized the attacker, but Daly City police are hoping someone will.
The attacker in the surveillance video appeared to be a heavy-set man in his 30s or 40s. Detectives said this kind of attack is very uncommon in Daly City.
“It’s more pain right here,” said Hernandez, pointing to his head. He said the mental trauma won’t go away anytime soon.
The family has a direct message for the attacker.
“You’re a coward. I’m saying this to your face right now. If you have any guts, you’ll come right now and you’ll face me. I am not afraid of you,” said Cruz.
Daly City police are asking neighbors to check and share with them any surveillance video of the attacker. He was seen in the neighborhood running away.
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