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Video shows homeless man attack woman with gardening shears in North Hollywood; suspect arrested

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story described the weapon a pair of scissors, which was later clarified to be gardening shears by law enforcement.

A homeless man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a woman in the head with a pair of gardening shears and later throwing a jar of pickles at another woman in North Hollywood earlier this week.


The stabbing occurred around 11:30 a.m. Monday when the 24-year-old victim was walking south on Lankershim Boulevard near Hatteras Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Jonathan Cole, allegedly stabbed the victim “without provocation” as they passed each other on the street, police said.

The victim ran into a nearby restaurant with the gardening shears still embedded in her head and asked for help before collapsing on the floor. She was taken to a hospital and is currently in stable condition, police said.

Authorities indicated the victim did not know Cole and said the crime “appeared random and completely unprovoked.”

They released video of the attack on Friday.

Cole continued walking north until he encountered a couple waiting at a bus stop. Cole asked the man and woman for a light and when the woman replied “no,” he allegedly threw a full jar of pickles at the woman, striking her on the shoulder, authorities detailed. Police said that attack was also unprovoked.

The man then chased Cole to the front of a supermarket, where store security guards detained him until LAPD officers arrived, police said.

Cole was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder and his bail was set at $3,055,000.

He was eventually charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

No further details about the incident have been released.