A man has been arrested weeks after a brutal attack at an Antioch fast food restaurant left a 19-year-old woman who was defending a person from being bullied without her right eye.
The incident, which was caught on video, happened Nov. 12 at a Habit Burger Grill.
Bianca Palomera, 19, told NBC Bay Area last month that she was trying to stop a man from bullying a special needs person, who was at the restaurant waiting for their relative to get off work.
“He punched me once, and my headset and my glasses went flying off my face,” she said. “He was throwing threats and slurs saying that he was going to 'beat him up', 'why does he keep looking his way?' That’s when I step in and I said 'it’s not right what you’re doing.'”
The suspects then got in Palomera’s face, and one hit her. She fought back and was hit several more times before the attacker and his friends took off. Doctors told Palomera after she received medical attention that she would lose her right eye.
On Monday, Antioch police said they had arrested Isaac White-Carter, a 20-year-old resident of Hayward, in the attack. He has been arrested for the felony charges of mayhem and aggravated assault causing great bodily injury.
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Palomera’s family set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses soon after the attack and they released the surveillance video of the incident to get the community involved.
“We go through not knowing how to help her. Going through the acceptance, the grievance. We are outraged because we’re not getting help from police,” Erica Palomera, her sister, told NBC Bay Area in November.
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“This is the last thing I would have expected out of anything. I don’t fully regret helping, stepping in. It could have been worse for my coworker's brother,” Bianca Palomera said.
