A man was in custody Friday for allegedly stabbing a woman in the head with a pair of scissors in North Hollywood and attacking two other people at a bus stop, authorities said.
Jonathan Cole, 30, who is homeless, was arrested a short time after the crime, which occurred about 11:30 a.m. Monday on Lankershim Boulevard near Hatteras Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Cole was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, and was being held on $3 million bail, the LAPD reported.
According to police, a 22-year-old woman was walking south on Lankershim Boulevard and the suspect was walking in the opposite direction when she was attacked.
“As the two passed each other, Cole, without provocation, stabbed the victim in the head with a pair of scissors,” police said in a statement. “The victim, with the scissors embedded into her head, fled to a local restaurant, where she asked for help and then collapsed on the floor.
“Cole continued walking northbound where he encountered a male and female couple waiting at a bus stop,” police said. “Cole asked them for a light, and when the female replied, ‘no,’ Cole, again unprovoked, threw a full jar of pickles, striking the female in the shoulder. The male chased Cole to the front of a local supermarket where store security guards were able to detain him until LAPD officers arrived.”
The victim of the stabbing was treated at a hospital and is recovering, police said.
“The crime occurred in broad daylight in an area with a high volume of pedestrian traffic,” police said. “Cole is not known to the victim, and the crime appeared random and completely unprovoked.”
The case has been presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, which filed one count of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon against Cole, police said.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call detectives at 818-754-8451, or 877-LAPD-247. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website www.lacrimestoppers.org.
