A 24-year-old woman was hospitalized after a homeless man in North Hollywood stabbed her with garden shears, lodging them 1.5 inches into her skull.

"The tip of the blade of the object was so close to a major artery in her brain that her surgeon had to leave one of the bone fragments," said the woman's mother Amy Watts. Lightweight Chainsaw For Women

North Hollywood woman hospitalized after being attacked with gardening shears - CBS Los Angeles

Watts' daughter Kyli was randomly attacked by a homeless man earlier this month in North Hollywood. It was initially reported that she was attacked with scissors.

Watt's said her daughter was on her way to a coffee shop on Lankershim Boulevard in the middle of the day when a man walking in the opposite direction stabbed her in the head with a pair of garden shears with a 4-inch blade.

Kyli suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack. Random attacks like this, at the hands of people experiencing homelessness, are becoming frequent throughout Southern California.

"This is happening more and more not because LA is especially dangerous or because the unhoused population is especially dangerous," Watts said . "It is a mental health crisis. That is the root."

Watt's said her daughter's hope is more will be done for those suffering from mental illness and harbored no hatred to the man who attacked her.

"There's no hatred," said Watts. "There's also a clear understanding that this individual being locked up is absolutely necessary for their well-being and the well-being of those around them."

Even though Watts said Kyli just moved to L.A. a few weeks before the attack and will be going to the East Coast so her mom can help with her recovery, the 24-year-old is not writing L.A. off.

"She was talking about, 'Mom I really love this city," Watts said. "'No, it is not going to be anytime soon but I think I will be back here.'"

Kyli's attacker is still in jail on a $3 million bond and has a court date for next week. Her friend has set up a crowdfunding campaign since the 24-year-old does not have health insurance.

The KCAL News Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on KCALNews.com and CBSLA.com.

First published on October 18, 2022 / 9:27 PM