Carmina Lu, New Mother Attacked in Broad Daylight, Tells Her Story
I spoke to the victim of the recent sexual assault in South Brentwood. Carmina Lu is a new mother who was just taking a walk in the neighborhood where she has lived for a few years. Originally from Utah, she moved to Brentwood because it was known as a safe neighborhood.
The suspect, 26-year-old Abraham Shily, a Brentwood resident, was arrested two days later but quickly posted the $50,000 bond on the same day and went free.
I asked Carmina how she felt about this development, and she said, in an emailed statement, “Clearly, the terms of bail failed to take into consideration my safety and that of the neighborhood. It is not clear to me that he will not re-offend. He has a history of violence, including a battery arrest in 2016.”
When asked if she feels safe, Lu responded, “I don’t feel safe and can’t go on walks alone in my neighborhood.”
This is the interview when we spoke shortly after Carmina Lu was assaulted.
Dolores Quintana: How are you doing?
Carmina Lu: I’m doing a bit better, obviously still shaken up. I didn’t sleep very well last night, but, I’m just kind of dealing with the aftermath and processing everything.
Dolores Quintana: Unfortunately, that’s to be expected. Obviously, after something like this happens, it’s very hard to deal with.
Carmina Lu: We moved to this neighborhood precisely because we felt that it would be a great place to live and we could feel safe. But unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to look at our streets the same way again.
Dolores Quintana: I’m really sorry to hear that. When did you move to Brentwood?
Carmina Lu: We moved to our first home in the area in 2020. More recently, we moved up Gretna Green. I was visiting a former neighbor who is still a friend at our old residence. She and I were walking around with my baby and her four-year-old, just a block or two away. We were at the point at which we said our goodbyes, and I started heading home.
It was then that this individual came and attacked me, less than 5 minutes after my friend and I parted ways.
Dolores Quintana: Then you were on the way home and were attacked. The attack happened during the day, correct?
Carmina Lu: Yes, in broad daylight, with lots of other people walking around. Once people heard me screaming very quickly, there were people asking me if I was okay. Nobody actually saw the assault, but two women were walking behind me. They came to help.
One of the husbands started running after the guy but didn’t catch him. Obviously, the neighbors all came to my aid, which I’m so grateful for. I started thinking about someone else getting hurt, and I decided to speak to the media.
Dolores Quintana: I think you made the right decision.
Carmina Lu: If anything, I think more visibility about the case will make sure that they take action.
The Los Angeles Police Department did arrest a suspect within two days, after a community member saw the KTLA 5 report and contacted the LAPD.
Dolores Quintana: You were not only hit by this man, but he committed a sexual assault as well, correct?
Carmina Lu: He came up behind me. He grabbed me, and he was thrusting himself on me. I started screaming and telling him to leave me alone. But I was also defending myself and hitting him. Then, at a certain point, he punched me three or four times. With head trauma, there’s a lot of blood. But, honestly, the scariest thing for me was that split second before he ran off.
In that second, he glanced at the baby stroller like he might do something, and then he ran off. But I’m just so grateful that nothing happened to the baby. I could keep thinking about different scenarios that could have been worse, so I honestly feel lucky.
Dolores Quintana: I am so sorry. That is awful. You shouldn’t ever have to have to experience something like that. But you did say that people immediately in the area started trying to come to your aid, which is good.
Carmina Lu: I’m very grateful that in that sense. It was broad daylight, and there were people around, so it was good to have help. But I think he had some type of mental illness.
Dolores Quintana: Did he threaten you?
Carmina Lu: No, the only words that he spoke to me when I started yelling at him to get off of me and he didn’t let go. When I did that, he said that there was a bee on me, which is a very strange explanation for what he was doing. But then, after that, he didn’t say anything.
Dolores Quintana: Is there anything else that you would like people to know about this?
Carmina Lu: I guess the one thing that I would say is that I would have never thought of myself as being the target of something like this because I’m 5’8 and I’m athletic. I did martial arts for ten years. I don’t walk around thinking that person is threatening or feeling threatened. But I think being a mother; I don’t know if that made me potentially a target because I was just a little bit more vulnerable, a little bit less mobile. My mind is on the baby. So maybe I wasn’t as vigilant as I would normally be. It’s been a new transition for me. I’m just recovering from delivery.
For all those reasons, I’ve never thought of myself as being a target because I know that I can stand my ground and fight back. But the most important thing, of course, is that you know the baby is safe.
