Elderly Woman’s Eye Gouged Out by Seattle Vagrant in Random Attack

An elderly woman in Seattle, Washington, found herself in a terrifying situation when she was the victim of a random attack, in which a man gouged her eye out with a nailed board.

Fale Pea has since been charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement, according to charges filed in King County Superior Court and viewed by Us Weekly.

The incident took place when Jeanette Marken was standing on the corner of a major downtown street on December 5, just outside the King County Courthouse. As captured in surveillance footage obtained by KOMO News, Marken, 75, was seen waiting to cross the street when Pea, 42, approached her from behind.

Authorities said that Pea hit Marken in the eye and partially blinded her. At the time of the incident, Pea was armed with a wooden board that had a screw protruding through one end. He used the object to strike Marken directly in the face.

Following the attack, bystanders took photos of the suspect before they went to help the victim. Marken was then taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors told her she will never get her eyesight back in her right eye. Additionally, KOMO News reported that she may need even more surgery in light of her injuries.

 

Police arrested Pea shortly after the incident took place. The arrest was captured by police body camera footage, which showed that the responding officers were familiar with the suspect from past incidents.

“Who is this guy?” a paramedic asked one officer, per the outlet.

“He’s a regular,” the officer wearing the body cam responded. “He usually punches. I guess today he decided to escalate things way worse than his usual.”

After the officer said that Pea often makes his random attacks on Third Avenue, another cop said, “He’s notorious for random assaults on Third.”

KOMO News reported that Pea has been convicted multiple times in the past for assault, while he even stabbed someone eight times at a party. He was convicted by a jury for that assault and received an 18-month sentence of community custody.

Pea was booked into the King County jail eight times in 2025 following arrests on misdemeanor charges of assault, indecent exposure, drugs, property destruction, unlawful use of weapons and malicious mischief.

After his latest arrest, a competency hearing was initiated for Pea on December 11. A judge declared on Monday, December 29, that Pea was fit to stand trial.

Marken’s family has since spoken out about the horrific incident, and they wondered if the attack could have been avoided while criticizing the police system.

“To take a wood club with nails and just, no, I’m going to hit her with all the force on her face is like — that’s not someone you can recover or help,” Marken’s son, Andrius Vyrikis, told the local TV station. “I want someone to at least say to my mom, ‘Hey, we’re working on this. We’re trying to fix this.’”

“What the hell is wrong with your system?” Vyrikis asked.

Pea is currently being held at King County Jail under a $1 million bond. His trial is scheduled to take place on February 17, 2026, according to court records viewed by Us Weekly.