A man who rode around on a bicycle and slashed the faces and necks of at least nine people in Los Angeles was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.
One victim said the man laughed after he cut her.
Lenrey Briones was tracked down and taken into custody after police received hundreds of tips from residents, Capt. Dan Randolph said at a news conference. The 19-year-old suspect is believed to be homeless, he said. It wasn’t immediately known if Briones has an attorney.
The assailant left at least nine victims, including a 13-year-old, with slashing wounds, and detectives were looking for additional victims, officials said.
“The suspect instilled fear in this community,” Randolph said.
A man standing near a bus stop was attacked on Monday, and a woman was cut about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away, police said. They were hospitalized with severe injuries and are expected to survive.
Similar attacks happened in the same area of South Los Angeles on March 20 and in the neighboring cities of South Gate and Lynwood on March 27.
Stefany Coboz told KNBC-TV she received a deep gash under her left ear, and the man turned to look at her after the attack.
“He started laughing,” she said “He laughed.”
The assailant rode a black and green mountain bike and wielded an unknown type of “edged weapon,” police said.
