DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — An 18-year-old Florida man is crediting an ‘act of God’ for his survival after he was beaten and bitten this past week by a naked attacker who had gone on a wild rampage in the public streets.
“Somehow I survived it. It had to be an act of God,” Tony Grein told WPTV. “There’s no way it was me.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports that Anesson Joseph, 28, allegedly ran naked through the streets of Delray Beach on Tuesday, and attacked bystanders at random.
The man, who was stated to be in an “excited delirium-state,” was believed to have been high on some type of narcotic drug.
“The people he assaulted … said this guy had like super human strength,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the Palm Beach Post.
Earlier that evening, Joseph had attacked retired police officer Douglas R. Kozlik, 66, and his 10-year-old son. Kozlik was badly injured in the attack, and his son also sustained injuries.
Joseph then moved on to another area, where he came in contact with Grein. As Joseph was allegedly about to attack Grein’s sister, Grein stepped in to fend him off. He stabbed Joseph with a box cutter in an attempt to keep him at bay after he beat him and began biting his face—but to no avail.
“He was really strong—like ridiculously strong,” he said. “It was really scary. I really thought I was going to get stuck and get messed up.”
However, when police arrived, the man then charged the deputies called to the scene. Officers tried to taze Joseph, but he was unaffected by the shots. Therefore, police opened fire on Joseph, shooting him three times.
He was transported to the Delray Beach Trauma Center, where he later died.
Grein also obtained medical care that night, where he pondered the events of the evening and began praying for those affected.
“I prayed for the family of the attacker that they would have peace,” he told reporters. “I prayed for my family. I prayed for me.”
He said that he was grateful that God sustained his life through the harrowing ordeal.
“I have a lot to be thankful for: that today I’m here breathing, that God gave me mercy, that He gave me a chance to repent,” Grein said.
An autopsy is now being performed to see what drugs might have been in Joseph’s system.
Photo: Palm Beach Post
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