44-year-old Marissa Young was walking her dogs in a public park in California when she was suddenly attacked by a homeless man. The man beat her so badly that she lost eight teeth and suffered from broken bones. On July 31, 2022, while near a field, the homeless man ran up to her and“tackled from behind”. He then abuses and rape her during the incident.
Reports claim that the robber was 46-year-old Darrel Waters, who had been homeless and freed from jail days before the rape. Due to his previous violent offenses, he should have still been in custody.
“I heard nothing,” the victim stated. “I didn’t have headphones in. I wasn’t looking at my phone. I was just walking straight forward to my destination.”
It is alleged that Waters attacked the Torrance woman, punching her for at least twenty times. He smashed her nose and battered her eyes during the assault.
The woman was raped by Waters just a few days after he had been released from jail on previous knife charges. Marissa was attacked from behind and tackled to the ground before knocking out eight of her teeth and raped her.
The attack not only left Young raped but with broken bones as well. Her nose was smashed in four different places, and her cheekbones were severely broken. The man was assaulting the woman while brutally beating her.
“You can still see a lot of swelling in my face,” she stated.
Young’s injuries were severe, with dental work totaling $24,000 for implants to replace broken teeth. She also needed therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the brutal sexual assault.
Young was fortunate to get dental surgery on October 14, 2022, a few months after the attack. She underwent five surgeries over the course of three months following the assault. During this time, she has not been able to work.
“For those that know her, you know how much she likes to laugh…being able to do so without being self-conscious about her teeth will be a huge step forward. It will take time but having her beautiful smile back will make a huge difference in restoring her sense of self,” her friend Debbie Keyser wrote on GoFundMe.
Police arrested Waters on August 1, 2022, for this assault. He is currently in jail without bail and has been charged with three felonies – rape, oral copulation, and sexual penetration with force.
Days leading up to the attack, Waters was caught carrying a dagger illegally. On the night of the attack against Young in the park, he was seen on surveillance near a dumpster.
“It makes me angry,” Young said. “It’s horrifying to think that they were holding this guy with a huge knife that was taken off him that’s illegal and he was let go the next day even though he has a record. Once something like this happens to you, it sort of changes your mind as to what the laws should be.”
