Vincent Lorenzo Meraz rescued a woman from assault, San Marcos, California, January 21, 2013. A 40-year-old woman was pulled from her car by her male companion and was being beaten by him in the street in a residential neighborhood. Standing at his parked truck nearby, Meraz, 48, machinist, witnessed the attack. He approached the assailant from behind and kicked him, distracting him from the woman. The men grappled, after which the assailant got into the woman’s car and drove from the immediate scene. Meraz returned to his truck for his telephone and was standing at the driver’s side when the assailant, who had turned the woman’s car around, drove back to the scene and struck Meraz against the truck. The truck was knocked onto the sidewalk, and Meraz, his ankle badly fractured, fell to the pavement. The assailant then got out of the car and attacked Meraz, who was able to establish a hold on him in an attempt to keep him for police. Pulling himself from his outer attire, the assailant broke free and fled the scene on foot. He was later arrested. The woman was treated at the scene for facial injuries, and she recovered. Meraz was hospitalized a week for treatment, including surgery, of his injuries.
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