A Venice resident is currently on the run after allegedly using a samurai sword to nearly sever another man’s arm in a shocking street attack.
The incident occurred on Thursday around 6:30 p.m. in front of a low-income housing complex at 720 Rose Ave. The attacker reportedly used a 16-inch samurai blade to injure a 27-year-old victim, according to authorities.
Justin Tucker, a resident of 720 Rose Ave., has been identified as the alleged attacker by the building’s management, the nonprofit Venice Housing Corporation, which offers low-income housing and job services to the community.
A wanted poster circulated in the area by the nonprofit on Friday includes photos of Tucker and states, “You may be aware that there was an incident in front of Rose Apartments this evening.”
The poster further states, “Unfortunately, our neighbor Justin Tucker was involved. He is suspected to be armed and dangerous.”
The Venice Housing Corporation has not responded to requests for comment.
While police have not confirmed Tucker as a suspect, he is described as a white male in his late 20s with a short haircut.
According to two witnesses, Tucker had just returned from a shopping trip to a nearby Smart and Final when a man in front of 720 Rose Ave. asked him if he had any drugs. Tucker allegedly went to his unit, retrieved a sword, and attacked the man’s left arm.
A bystander called 911, and emergency responders rushed the victim to a local hospital in serious condition. The fire department has not provided updates on the victim’s status.
A woman living nearby was alerted to the scene by a panicked friend residing at 720 Rose Ave. Upon arrival, she saw the victim holding his injured arm above his head.
The victim’s arm was wrapped in a t-shirt and plastic bandage, but blood was still squirting. “The blood was pooling under his arm and on the wall really quickly,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation. “He kept saying, ‘it’s broken.’”
A passerby, who identified himself as a nurse, provided a tourniquet to help slow the bleeding.
By the time police arrived, the alleged attacker had fled. Witnesses say Tucker escaped on foot, heading westbound in an alley behind Rose Avenue and then onto Seventh Avenue before disappearing.
Police are actively searching for Tucker, who was last seen wearing a blue hat, blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt, and a black hoodie.
Venice Community Housing co-executive directors Erika Lee and Allison Riley stated that the nonprofit is working with police, emphasizing, “We take safety concerns seriously.”
The attack adds to Venice’s ongoing struggle with rising violence, with Rose Avenue being a hotspot for crime and disorder in the area.
A woman who assisted the victim expressed that she has faced assault on that block and once heard a woman nearby screaming for help.
She also noted that the block’s condition worsened after the low-income housing complex was established there, with police less frequently responding to incidents.
“There are horrible things happening here every day,” she said. “There are people on drugs walking around like zombies. It’s not safe. Nobody comes to help.”
