Surveillance Shows Alleged Repeat Offender Strike 75-Year-Old Outside Seattle Courthouse, Victim Expected To Lose Vision

Newly released surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment a man allegedly struck a 75-year-old woman from behind with an improvised wooden club topped by a metal screw outside the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle on Dec. 5.

The victim, identified as Jeanette Marken, suffered a deep facial laceration, multiple fractures to her face and skull, heavy bleeding and the likely permanent loss of vision in her right eye. Bystanders rushed to her aid and a King County Sheriff s deputy stationed near the courthouse quickly arrested the suspect at the scene.

Video has captured the moment suspect Fale Pea, who has an extensive criminal history, brutally attacked a random 75-year-old woman in Seattle, Washington, on Dec. 5.

What the Video Shows

Footage from the Real Time Crime Center appears to show the suspect approaching Marken from behind while she waited at a crosswalk and striking her in the face with an object described by authorities as a wooden stick with a metal screw attached. After the attack the suspect walked away as people nearby called 911 and began to chase him.

Detective Eric Muñoz said the video shows the assault was sudden and left Marken with no opportunity to defend herself. He praised community members who provided immediate assistance and contacted emergency services.

Suspect, Arrest And Charges

Authorities identified the suspect as 42-year-old Fale Vaigalepa Pea. He was arrested shortly after the incident and has been charged with first-degree assault. Prosecutors filed the charge with a deadly-weapon enhancement and requested $1 million bail; they also asked that electronic home monitoring be required if bail is posted.

Jeanette Marken was brutally attacked on Dec. 5 in Seattle, Washington.

Background And Criminal History

Officers and body-worn camera footage describe Pea as a repeat offender who is "notorious for random assaults" along Third Avenue. Local reporting indicates Pea has had numerous prior bookings and convictions dating back to a 2011 party stabbing that resulted in a felony conviction and community custody. Records cited by local outlets say Pea accumulated additional misdemeanor assault convictions in 2020, 2023 and 2024 and was booked multiple times in 2025 for a range of alleged offenses, though not all recent arrests resulted in new felony charges.

Victim s Condition And Family Statement

Marken s son posted on a GoFundMe page that his mother had been delivering food and was waiting to cross the street when the attacker struck her. He described the injury as so severe that she fell to the pavement covered in blood. At the hospital, medical staff reportedly found fractures to her face, skull and nose and determined the injury to her right eye was permanent.

Jeanette Marken was transported to a hospital following a random attack that gouged her right eye in Seattle, Washington.

Prosecutors Comments And Next Steps

The King County Prosecuting Attorney s Office told reporters it has filed every violent felony referral involving Pea that police forwarded to them, including the 2011 case and the current assault. Prosecutors said no other violent felony cases with sufficient evidence were referred to their office between 2011 and the present; several recent assault matters were handled as misdemeanors by the Seattle City Attorney s Office.

Seattle City Attorney s Office and the mayor s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Note: All allegations are from law enforcement and prosecutorial filings; the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.