Fresno City Employee Recovering after Attack at Work

Safety at Work

Fresno City, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Fresno City employee attacked in Chinatown is recovering, officials said but remains in critical condition.

City officials said 56-year-old Tim Smith had been moved out of the ICU and placed in a lower, yet still critical, level of care. The city said Smith will be on “brain rest” before beginning rehabilitation.

Smith, who has worked for the city for 20 years as an electrician, was working alone on an electrical box on April 11 when he was attacked, officials said.

Police said Smith was attacked from behind by Dyllan Padavona, 30, who hit him in the head with an unknown object.

"In this case, you would expect that this employee, if they were injured, it would've been from performing their duties, being around electricity, not from being attacked from behind by an individual who, for whatever reason, did what he did," Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said at the time.

According to the mayor, it’s not uncommon for city employees to work alone, but he may rethink that policy after Smith’s attack. He said he wasn’t sure that having another employee on the job would have prevented the attack.

Padavona was charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, enhancement for causing great bodily injury and enhancement for committing a crime while released on his own recognizance. He has a long criminal record, officials said, some of which he has pending cases for.

In Charlotte County, Fla., a 79-year-old golf course employee is recovering after being attacked by a golfer.

According to Charlotte County deputies, Aaron Carbo, 24, was asked by the golf course employee to speed up his play as he was holding up other players. Deputies said Carbo snapped and attacked the employee in broad daylight.

Witnesses said Carbo got out of his golf cart, punched the employee and knocked him to the ground. Another employee rushed to defend the older victim, hitting Carbo and pushing him to the ground. Deputies arrested both men.

The golf course has not released the condition of the older employee.

In North Charleston, three Boeing employees were attacked by a man who jumped the fence surrounding the airplane manufacturing facility.

Charleston County Aviation Authority Police arrested Antoine Montique Fitzgerald, 53, and charged him with three counts of assault and battery in the third degree.

Security at the plant said Fitzgerald drove to the #2 gate on the property and the guard raised the gate before checking the driver’s badge. When the guard checked the badge, Fitzgerald drove off.

One of the victims said she was handling inspections when Fitzgerald shoved her to the ground. Another woman said she was walking in a parking lot when Fitzgerald jumped a fence and shoved her to the ground, then started punching her in the face until a man intervened. When the man intervened Fitzgerald turned on him and started attacking him, officials said. The last victim was able to secure Fitzgerald until help arrived.

Both of the women were taken to the Boeing medical facility for treatment. One of the women said the attack hurt her back. The man suffered minor scratches on his face.

Fitzgerald was charged with three counts of assault and battery in the third degree.

And in Seattle, a chicken restaurant employee was punched in the face after asking customers to leave.

Seattle police said a 29-year-old chicken restaurant employee is recovering after the incident. The employee had asked three men to leave the restaurants after they were seen harassing other customers and using slurs. Witnesses reported the three men were eating chicken and verbally harassing other customers. The group allegedly growled, barked and used derogatory language about others assumed sexual orientation.

When a manager tried to intervene, the harassment continued leading to a confrontation. During the argument, one of the suspects used a gay slur against an employee. The situation escalated and the 29-year-old employee stepped forward to escort the men out. One suspect allegedly said, “Don’t touch my boy like that,” before another suspect punched the employee, cutting him above his left eye and swelling it shut.

The suspects were still at large as of April 25.

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