A recently unveiled video has documented the chilling moment when a man, allegedly armed with a stick fitted with a metal screw, viciously attacked an elderly woman without warning in early December.
Officials revealed that the suspect, known for being flagged as a “violent person” and possessing a lengthy criminal record that includes unprovoked assaults, reportedly used the weapon “like a baseball bat.” He allegedly struck the unsuspecting 75-year-old, Jeanette Marken, in the face. The attack resulted in a severe laceration, causing significant blood loss, and Marken is likely to suffer permanent vision loss in one eye.
This bold attack took place just outside the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle on December 5.
Following the incident, 42-year-old Fale Vaigalepa Pea was quickly apprehended by a King County Sheriff’s Office deputy stationed near the courthouse. Pea faces charges of first-degree assault and is being detained on a $1 million bond.
In the footage, the suspect can be seen approaching Marken from behind and striking her in the face as she waited at a crosswalk. After the attack, he calmly walked away, while witnesses rushed to aid Marken, contacted emergency services, and pursued the suspect.
In the video, the suspect appeared to deliberately strike Marken in the face from behind as she stood at a crosswalk intersection. He then walked away from the scene as several bystanders rushed to assist her, called 911 and pursued the suspect.
“The video captured by the Real Time Crime Center shows the suspect assaulting the victim from behind with an improvised weapon,” Detective Eric Muñoz told Fox News Digital in a statement Monday. “She had no opportunity to protect or defend herself. SPD is grateful for the community members that came to her immediate aid and called 911.”
The son of the victim said in a GoFundMe page that his mother was simply delivering food when the weapon gouged out her eye, prompting her to fall on the floor covered in blood.
“She was simply waiting to cross the street when a man came from behind and struck her in the face with a wooden club with nails,” the son said. “The blow was so violent that she fell into the ground instantly. “
“Her vision in her right eye was gone, and she was losing too much blood. At the hospital, we learned she had multiple fractures in her face, skull and nose… and that the damage to her right eye was permanent. She will never see from that eye again.”
Video has captured the moment suspect Fale Pea, who has an extensive criminal history, brutally attacked a random 75-year-old woman in Seattle, Washington, on Dec. 5. (King County Prosecuting Attorney)
According to body camera footage, officers said they immediately recognized the repeat offender and described him as “notorious for random assaults” along Third Avenue. Local outlet KOMO News reported that Pea has been in and out of jail eight times this year alone.
“He’s a regular,” one officer was heard saying. “He usually punches. I guess today he decided to escalate from his usual.”
Jeanette Marken was brutally attacked on Dec. 5 in Seattle, Washington. (GoFundMe)
In 2012, Pea was convicted in a 2011 party stabbing incident that left two people injured, including one victim who was stabbed eight times, KOMO News said. He reportedly received an 18-month sentence of community custody, and prosecutors said he was convicted of assault in the second degree.
According to court documents, Pea continued to rack up assault charges, including one misdemeanor conviction in 2020, four misdemeanor convictions in 2023 and another misdemeanor conviction for assault in 2024, prosecutors said.
In 2025, he was booked eight times for a wide range of incidents including assault, indecent exposure, drugs, property destruction, unlawful use of weapons and malicious mischief, KOMO News reported. However, none of his arrests resulted in charges, the outlet added, citing Seattle Municipal Court and King County Superior Court records.
Jeanette Marken was transported to a hospital following a random attack that gouged her right eye in Seattle, Washington. (GoFundMe)
The King County Prosecuting Attorney, which handles felony charges, told Fox News Digital that it has charged every violent felony case involving Pea that police referred to its office, including the 2011 felony assault case and the most recent case.
In the current case, prosecutors said they rush-filed a first-degree assault charge with a deadly weapon enhancement, meaning that he would face a longer sentencing range if convicted. They also sought $1 million bail, and requested electronic home monitoring if bail was posted.
Prosecutors said no other felony cases with sufficient evidence were referred to them between 2011 and the present.
The office noted that Pea’s other assault convictions — in 2024, 2023 and 2020 — were misdemeanor cases handled by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, not King County prosecutors.
Seattle City Attorney’s Office and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
