Woman brutally attacked at Brookhaven gas station

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - It is hard to watch the video a total stranger assaulting your wife, but that's what a Brookhaven newlywed did--over and over again--just to get a good look at the man responsible for the ruthless ambush and assault at a Shell gas station on Buford Highway in Brookhaven.

"It's an image I'm never going to forget... Seeing someone you love like that. She was on her back while he was kicking and punching her and she just kept screaming for help," said The Newlywed who asked to remain anonymous.

It happened in the parking lot of the gas station on Tuesday, June 12 just after 1 p.m. FOX 5 News blurred the video posted above of the actual attack caught on camera to hide the woman's identity, but it can be clearly seen that she put up a fight as the stranger, who she said appeared to be deranged, kept swinging at her. The woman was on the ground for about 30 seconds when a young man and an older woman swinging a purse stepped up to try to stop the assault.

"Fortunately, my wife was able to keep him at Bay and at enough of a distance that she didn't get hit with every one of the punches he was throwing," the Brookhaven man told FOX 5’s Portia Bruner.

The Brookhaven newlyweds, who asked not to have their faces shown, were grateful the gas station had such clear video of the attack. The gas station owner told Bruner he had never seen the man before and was eager to help get this man off the streets. He shared it with Brookhaven Police and with the husband who was determined to find his wife's attacker.

Wednesday evening around 6 p.m., the Brookhaven man was driving around searching for the assailant when he happened to spot the man wearing the same torn clothing he saw in the video. The young husband said he immediately recognized the man who was standing in front of Family Dollar on Clairmont Road.

"He had on a blue polo shirt that was torn in the back horizontally and completely exposed his back. He also had on red underwear and that was one of the things the witnesses told me that day that they could see...that torn shirt and his red underwear," the young man told Bruner as he stood on Clairmont Road Thursday.

"He was looking around and pacing back and forth and I was like, holy crap that's him I've got to call the police. So I called the police and wave them toward the back," he added.

He was relieved as he watched Brookhaven police take the man into custody just minutes after he found him. He called his mother, his mother-in-law and then told his wife the good news when he made it home. Brookhaven police will not release the attacker’s identity, but confirm they did charge him with aggravated assault and battery before taking him to the DeKalb County Jail.

By all means, I know this could have ended with a different outcome. I could have approached him and maybe even ended up in the hospital and then he would have still been out here on the streets. I'm glad I put my pride aside and just let the police do their jobs," he said.