Santa Clarita resident Lani Bidwell is seeking the public’s help to identify a man who attacked her 14-year-old son Wednesday night along a local bike trail.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 7:20 p.m. at the San Francisquito Creek Trail near Avenue Scott, left Bidwell’s son badly injured and without a bike.
“My son and his friends were riding the bike trail down near Avenue Scott, and it was dark. There was a man on a bike, and they didn’t see him because he wasn’t wearing anything reflective or anything that had lights on. My son’s friend swerved to not hit him, and they continued on,” said Bidwell, who preferred not to disclose her son’s name. “The man followed them, and my son had a twig caught in both of his tires, so he stopped to pull them out. The guy jumped in from behind, threw him off his bike, threw him to the ground, jumped on top of him and punched him several times.”
According to Bidwell, the man had a knife in his hand as he was punching her son, but her son was able to escape and record the altercation.
“My son pulled out his phone and began recording, and thank God that he did. The man was also saying, ‘I’m going to kill you’ as he was punching him. His friend was watching from a distance because he was also scared and he didn’t have a phone because his battery had died,” Bidwell said. “The man took the knife and stabbed his tires and stomped on his bike, and just basically destroyed it all while he’s screaming and yelling.”
Bidwell’s son went into the street to flag down cars to stop and help him, while his friend ran away, fearing that the man would attack him next.
“In the video, you can hear him asking, pleading for help. The paramedics came. He was taken to the emergency room for a CT scan, some X-rays. We’re hoping for the public’s help, and if anybody has any video footage that they’ll come forward with it. While the [attack] was happening, the neighbors across the street actually did come out and try to help once he was gone,” Bidwell said.
From what Bidwell’s son can remember, the man fits the following description: scruffy facial hair and a mustache, reddish-brown hair, a white ball cap with sunglasses on top, shorts and a shirt, a lightweight backpack and is between the ages of 30 and 40.
A GoFundMe has been created to help earn back the cost of Bidwell’s son’s bike, as he heals both physically and mentally.
“We’re motivated to get this guy off the streets. My son worked really hard to earn every penny that he put into his bike. He was literally in the hospital while we were at the emergency room and he said, ‘I’m gonna have to go clean a bunch of trash bins now, mom, to fix my bike.’ It broke my heart.”
Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station Capt. Brandon Barclay spoke on the incident during the Annual Community Discussion: A Culture of Safety and Wellness in the William S. Hart Union High School District on Thursday evening.
“A young kid was attacked by a man because he was frustrated, because he cut him off on his e-bike, or e-motorcycle. He punched him and then he slashed his tires. There’s no exception. Violence is unacceptable, and we’ll make an arrest here shortly,” Barclay said.
As of this story’s publication, the suspect has not yet been identified, according to Shirley Miller, spokeswoman with the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
“This is an active investigation, and they are still going through tips being received from the public,” Miller said.
The GoFundMe set up for Bidwell’s son can be found at tinyurl.com/mvcms45j.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station issued a statement online seeking the public’s assistance in locating the suspect. Anyone with information is advised to contact Detective K. Picard at 661-260-4000, ext. 5625.