Distrubing video shows a brave mother being chased around her California neighborhood before getting stabbed by a man that broke into her home.
Marylou Villalobos Palos, 42, ended up being stabbed 20 times by the intruder, but managed to lead him away from her two daughters on Tuesday in the town of Lake Forest, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.
The man identified as James Carlos Melendrez was unknown to the family, broke into their home and grabbed a knife.
During the stabbing, people in a BMW stopped to help Palos and her attacker allegedly turned on them and stole their ride.
He drove off, eventually jumping a curb and slamming into a woman in her 50s walking on the sidewalk.
Melendrez then allegedly tried to break into a home and carjack several more people.
As he was trying to drag a mother and daughter out of their car, a passing bicyclists pepper-sprayed him.
Authorities are looking into whether he was on drugs or has a mental illness. He was booked on attempted murder, carjacking and attempted carjacking and is being held on $2 million bail.