“I had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds,” Christen Phillips said as she described the injuries she suffered.
Phillips, a mother of three, is recovering in the hospital from a severe brain injury after deputies say a man attacked her with a baseball bat while she was making a DoorDash delivery.
Authorities say the suspected attacker, 44-year-old Stanley Shockley, is now in custody.
According to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the assault unfolded in broad daylight after the suspect allegedly followed Phillips and struck her with the bat when she got out of her vehicle to drop off a food order.
Christen Phillips, a mother of three, was attacked by a stranger armed with a bat while delivering DoorDash orders in a North Carolina neighborhood, investigators said. (GoFundMe)
The incident began Aug. 1 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, when Phillips was stopped at an intersection, waiting for the vehicle ahead of her to move.
A map shows the DoorDash delivery area where investigators say the suspect beat the victim with a bat. (Google Maps)
Shockley was reportedly driving the vehicle in front of her when Phillips honked her horn to signal that he should pull forward.
After the honk, the situation took a dangerous turn.
Stanley Shockley, 44, is facing charges. (Onslow County Sheriff’s Office)
The sheriff’s office said, “The vehicle moved out of her way and began following her.”
Phillips arrived at her delivery drop-off point, carried out the order, and tried to walk back to her car when Shockley allegedly jumped out, attacked her with the bat, then ran off.
The attack occurred during a DoorDash delivery. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
“He came around to my door with a small wooden bat or baton and beat me in the head and face with it,” Phillips said in a post to social media.
“I don’t remember it at all. I woke up an unverified amount of time later,” she said.
She was able to drive herself to a nearby hospital after the attack.
“I had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds and blood and cerebral fluid draining from my left ear for hours. My cheek bone on my left side is also fractured,” she said.
Phillips says she has endured several days of surgeries stemming from injuries sustained in the brazen attack. (GoFundMe)
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Shockley was arrested on Monday in connection to the incident.
He is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, records say.
Sheriff Chris Thomas said in a statement:
“We understand the public does not see what goes into every investigation and a case like this can make citizens uneasy. We appreciate the number of tips and leads the public provided us. Our detectives follow every lead, carefully work through the evidence, and continue to pursue answers even when the investigation presents challenges. Their hard work ultimately led them to identify a suspect and make an arrest.”
In a statement sent to News Outlet a spokesperson for DoorDash said, “What this Dasher went through is horrific, and we’re relieved she’s safe and on the road to recovery. We’re grateful to law enforcement for making an arrest and will continue to assist their investigation in any way we can.”
