A Seattle woman says a stranger launched an unprovoked attack after directing racist abuse at her and biting a piece of skin from her forehead.
Diana Gonzalez was allegedly assaulted by 36-year-old Kamilia Chadli in downtown Seattle on September 18, according to KOMO News.
Gonzalez told the outlet she was on a break from work and walking toward a nearby 7-Eleven when Chadli allegedly began throwing rubbish and shouting racist and homophobic insults.
“She started yelling racist things after throwing trash and spitting on me,” Gonzalez said.
Charging documents cited by KOMO News state that Gonzalez questioned Chadli about throwing the rubbish. Chadli allegedly responded: “You’re the inferior race.”
The suspect is also accused of using a homophobic slur and spitting at Gonzalez during the confrontation.
Authorities allege that Chadli then seized Gonzalez and dragged her to the ground before biting away a roughly one-inch circular section of skin from her forehead.
“It looks like a zombie bite, like something you would see in a movie,” Gonzalez said.
Diana Gonzalez was allegedly attacked and bitten by 36-year-old Kamilia Chadli in downtown Seattle on September 18
Gonzalez told KOMO News she was walking to a nearby 7-Eleven during a work break when Chadli allegedly threw rubbish at her and began hurling insults. After Gonzalez asked why she had thrown it, Chadli allegedly replied, “You’re the inferior race”
A witness reportedly stepped in after seeing the violent encounter and managed to pull the two women apart.
According to the charging documents, Chadli left the area but was taken into custody soon afterward.
Officials said investigators found the piece of skin in a storm drain, while blood was visible across the pavement at the scene.
Seattle Fire crews treated Gonzalez before she was taken to Harborview Medical Center for further care.
Prosecutors said Gonzalez was due to have a skin graft on Tuesday and is expected to be left with a permanent scar.
Gonzalez has created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover treatment expenses and lost income while she remains unable to return to work.
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“Since this happened, my day-to-day life has completely changed,” Gonzalez said.
“I can’t work right now, and I’m dealing with anxiety as well as the physical trauma. I also need therapy as I try to recover from what happened to me.”
Officials allege that Chadli pulled Gonzalez to the ground and bit away a circular piece of skin approximately one inch wide from her forehead
“It looks like a zombie bite, like something you would see in a movie,” Gonzalez said. Prosecutors said the injury is expected to leave her with a permanent scar
Chadli was first arrested on suspicion of a hate crime but is now facing charges of second-degree assault.
Prosecutors said Chadli intentionally assaulted Gonzalez and recklessly inflicted substantial bodily harm.
According to the outlet, while she is not currently charged with a hate crime, she can still be hit with that offense if there is evidence to prove it.
Gonzalez is seeking to have her alleged attacker face a serious sentence even if she accepts a plea deal.
‘I would like for the charge not to be lessened,’ said Gonzalez.
‘I would like that if she did take a plea, she would still have to serve a lengthy sentence and get additional therapy or help in jail or prison, just so she wouldn’t reoffend.’
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is known for her soft-on-crime approach, as she ran on a platform pushing for a model of community policing over strict enforcement.
She was previously a vocal supporter of defunding the police in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, but her policies have become more nuanced since then.
According to crime statistics tracker Neighborhood Scout, Seattle residents have a shocking one in 129 chance of being a victim of a violent crime.
The robbery rate is over triple the national average at 2.22 cases for every 1,000 residents, and there are an average of 444 crimes per square mile in the city.
The city has also become known as a homelessness hotspot across the nation, and its unhoused population has surged by a staggering 88 percent in the past 10 years.
