NCIS actress Pauley Perrette said she was assaulted overnight by a “psychotic homeless man,” and has in turn called for a greater focus on mental health care and support for men and women in law enforcement.
Perrette, who plays forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on the CBS television show, tweeted about the alleged incident early Friday morning, saying she was walking to her guest home in Hollywood when she was assaulted and threatened repeatedly by a homeless man.
“He grabbed me so forcefully, pinned my arm, punched me in the nose, forehead repeatedly telling me he was going to kill me,” Perrette tweeted. “Then he showed me how he was going to kill me.”
“I am shaken and traumatized…My life changed tonight,” she added.
Perrette, 46, claims the attacker said his name was William, and after she told him she had a nephew who shared the same name, the man started punching her again before telling her to “get the f*ck out of here.”
The actress says she went into shock and collapsed on a nearby sidewalk, and a man on a phone walked right by her and “did nothing.”
She then texted her “church friend cop” and drew a police sketch of her attacker.
The police eventually found the man using her drawing, and he was charged with felony assault, according to Perrette.
“[He] was headed towards Hollywood Blvd with murder in his eyes…[James] found the guy, surveilled him, the cops came and followed James to him. They got him. Felony assault,” she said.
FOX411 reports that LAPD officer Richardo Hernandez confirmed a white male, named David Merck, was arrested on battery charges.
“We need full mental health care. We need housing and help for the homeless. We need to support our cops,” said Perrette. “I almost died tonight.”
So, tonight was awful, life changing and I'm only grateful to be alive. It's here: pic.twitter.com/vXIT1pkVRc
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) November 13, 2015
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