Olympian recovering from attack by homeless man in Downtown LA

A former Olympic volleyball player was recovering Monday from facial injuries she says she received in an unprovoked attack by a homeless man in downtown Los Angeles.

Kim Glass discussed the attack in a video posted on Instagram, showing her with a black eye and bruises.

She said she had lunch with a friend on Friday and while they were saying goodbye, “this homeless man ran up. He had something in his hand … and he just like looked at me … and as I turned to go tell my friend I think something’s like wrong with him and I think he’s going to hit your car. Before I knew it, a big metal bolt, like pipe, hit me.”

She said people in the area who saw the attack subdued the assailant and held him until police arrived.

Los Angeles police said the attack occurred around 2:30 p.m. Friday at Olive and Eighth streets. The suspect was identified by police as Semeon Tesfamariam, 51.

He was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

Glass said she does not believe her vision will be impacted long-term, noting she “got really great stitching from the doctor.” She said she had multiple fractures around her eye.

She urged people to “just be safe out there.”

“There’s a lot of mentally ill people on these streets right now,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to be fearful when you walk.”

Glass won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics as part of the U.S. women’s indoor volleyball team.

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