Man says he was attacked after giving another man money

A man says he was attacked late Wednesday night by another man who asked him for a dollar in Edmonds.

The attack happened right around midnight in the area of the 23000 block of Highway 99.

Hassan Abukar said he simply wanted to go out for a walk and was coming back to this apartment complex, Pacific Park Apartment Homes, when a man approached and asked him for a cigarette and some money. Abukar said he gave him some, but it wasn't enough -- and the man ended up beating him with a rock.

“This guy, he just keep attack me and I'm bleeding so I feel like I hold him... he kicked me and we went all the way down and I hold him and I scream to the neighbor so they can call police,” Abukar said.

KIRO 7 met Abukar at his apartment, and he said he is having trouble seeing out of his swollen eyes, talking and even having trouble moving after the vicious attack that happened yards from his apartment in this parking lot.

As the Fourth of July ended, he said a man on the street asked him for cash and didn't like what Abukar gave, “I just tried to give him a dollar but... man I would have given him another dollar too so he can just leave me alone.”

Officers responded and arrested a suspect -- and confirmed to KIRO 7 that the assault happened in the area near the Pacific Park Apartments.

Online crime reports listed nine assaults in the area since June 21, although Abukar said he's never felt unsafe until now, “Man, this guy I never seen before, I don't know him, he just sitting there, he had a lot of stuff maybe homeless guy.”

Abukar kept the bloody shirt he used to stop the bleeding. He has a scratch on one eye, five stitches above the other and swelling on both eyes. He said he can't look for work as he tries to heal.

Abukar is originally from Somalia and said he’s never had any problems, now his sense of security is shattered, “I'm in America I came here to protect. I have the police, safety if I know somebody was going to attack me like this I'd never come here.”

Abukar got away from the area of the assault and ran home but was so dazed by the attack, he wasn't sure who called 911 -- he believes it was his neighbors.

Edmonds police said the suspect could face felony assault charges.

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