Man Charged After Allegedly Attacking Former Olympian with 'Metal Bolt'

2022-08-08 07:10:39 By : Ms. Susan Bu

A Los Angeles man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly attacked former Olympic volleyball player Kim Glass with a metal object.

Semeon Tesfamariam faces one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, including allegations that the 51-year-old "caused great bodily injury and of being previously convicted in 2020 of a serious and/or violent felony," according to a news release issued by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Tuesday.

"This was a brutal, unprovoked attack. Mr. Tesfamariam has a troubling history of attacking apparently random people with dangerous weapons. His behavior appears to have escalated with time. We have asked the court to preventatively detain him to protect the public. The court granted that request and he is currently being held without bail," DA Gascón said.

On Friday, Tesfamarian allegedly approached Glass, 37, and "threw a 10-inch metal bolt at her face," resulting in serious injuries. Good Samaritans at the scene detained the man until law enforcement arrived.

Glass recalled the harrowing alleged attack in a series of Instagram Stories on Saturday, detailing the incident and revealing the extent of her injuries, including a gash above her nose and a massively swollen right eye.

"Right now it looks like my vision will be okay, and I got really great stitching from a doctor," the athlete said in a video. "I have amazing friends and family around me and supporting me, and that's been the best part."

Glass said the incident happened in downtown L.A. after having lunch with a friend.

"He just looked at me with some pretty hateful eyes," she explained in an Instagram Story. "As I turned to tell my friend that something was wrong with him and that I think he was going to hit [a nearby] car, before I knew it, a big metal bolt, like a pipe, hit me."

PEOPLE has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for further comment.

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Tesfamariam's first felony assault occurred in 2018, while the second happened in 2019. According to the news release, he was initially given a probationary sentence and later received a state prison term. He was on parole at the time of the alleged attack on Glass, according to the news release.

Though his arraignment was initially scheduled on Tuesday, a "doubt was declared regarding the defendant's competency to stand trial," and a hearing is now set for Aug. 17.

Tesfamariam faces 11 years in state prison if convicted. It is unclear if he has obtained legal representation to comment on his behalf.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.