The victim, identified only as an Asian woman, was attacked by a man wielding a sledgehammer around 7 a.m. near El Camino College in Los Angeles County, about five miles north of Torrance.
The assailant fled the scene before authorities arrived, according to campus police.
A passerby discovered the injured woman unconscious and bleeding from her head near the campus’ gymnasium and called the police. Her dog faithfully remained by her side throughout the incident.
Police transported the woman to a local hospital, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries on Christmas Day.
After a review of surveillance footage, campus police identified the suspect as Jeffery Davis, 40, a homeless individual known to the community, according to local news outlet KTLA News.
Mr. Davis was taken into custody and is being held without bail. He is set to be arraigned Jan. 17 on a murder charge, said a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Dec. 28.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. The victim’s cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Meanwhile, residents of the area are now on edge in the wake of the fatal attack.
“It’s scary seeing that a lot of people do come around this area where there are families,” a local resident told KTLA News. “You might think they’re just homeless people, but you don’t know their psychological or mental health so it’s a very scary thing.”
