A Fremont woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a violent assault on a Newark councilmember, police confirmed Thursday.
Councilmember Eve Maria Little posted a heartfelt message on Facebook Thursday outlining an alleged attack that she said happened as she was speaking with constituents on Oct. 25.
“Two weekends ago, I was viciously attacked by a complete stranger while I was talking to fellow citizens in one of our local parks about the upcoming park updates as well as jotting down their suggestions,” Little writes. “The individual jumped me from behind while I was chatting with the group, causing me to crash to the ground. Then she proceeded to punch my face over and over again while I did everything I could to get her off.”
Little posted a picture of herself with a large black eye and said the event was one of the most traumatic of her life and that the viciousness of the assault has continued to cause her physical and mental pain.
The Newark Police Department said the investigation is sensitive, but did identify the suspect as Fremont resident Rosario Lopez, 31, who they allege physically attacked Little and fled the scene in a vehicle. Investigators were able to catch up with Lopez through license plate readers and she was arrested on Oct. 29 and subsequently charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
On Facebook, Little said the suspect’s plates were recorded by a good Samaritan who saw what was happening from the parking lot and proceeded to follow the getaway car — which she said was driving at speeds up to 80 mph — to get a description of it.
Little said the assault has affected her deeply.
“When this happened to me, all the wind has been taken out of my sails,” she wrote on Facebook. “I feel betrayed by people and feel that this wasn’t fair, that I did nothing wrong to deserve this. Just a total wave of sadness and despair. I know things heal with time, but right now I just want to curl up into a ball and cry.”
The councilmember also talked about the inherent dangers in being a public figure, which can sometimes make you a target.
“People don’t realize the dark side of campaigning; the fear and scariness of who is behind the door when canvassing the neighborhoods, the pending thoughts of someone is going to go off because your policy opinions don’t line up with theirs, and going out in public and never knowing if you are in danger,” she wrote.
As of Thursday, Lopez was no longer in custody, according to jail records.
