A UCLA graduate student was attacked in October while sleeping in her own bed, raising concerns among an entire neighborhood as she continued to recover from the injuries she suffered.
Yael Itzkowich, a 24-year-old Israeli woman pursuing an acting career at UCLA, was sleeping in her second-floor apartment near S. Bundy Drive and Iowa Avenue when she was awakened about 3:30 a.m. by the suspect standing over her. , the police say.
“He jumped on her. They started wrestling, he told her to be quiet,” said LAPD Officer Eileen Lomis.
The violent attack left Itzkowich with serious injuries that required hospitalization. Although her suspect is now behind bars, she tells her story online while still recovering at home.
“Before I could fully process what was happening, he jumped on my bed and started choking me,” she told an online fundraising platform aimed at helping cover her medical costs.
Officer Somis says the suspect, 27-year-old Gerardo Solarzano, a Los Angeles man, climbed the building and cut through the screen of Itzkowich’s apartment window to gain entry.
“During the struggle, he pulled out a large knife and stabbed her repeatedly,” Somis said. “Her screams woke the neighbors. The neighbors called the police. The suspect fled the apartment.”
When officers arrived on the scene, neighbors quickly pointed them in the direction Solarzano fled, eventually locating him not far from where the attack took place – on top of a nearby roof. Solarzano has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
Investigators say the two did not know each other and that it was a completely random attack. They remind the public to remain vigilant and ensure doors and windows are closed at all times.
