Newark City Councilmember Eve Marie Little is recovering after being ambushed and assaulted while speaking with constituents at a local park. The attack occurred shortly before Election Day.
Little was discussing proposed changes to local green spaces when a woman approached her from behind, according to an account shared with ABC7 News. "I felt this mad energy just hit me in my back," Little stated. "And she took out my knees and my shoulder blade, and I fell on the ground. It just turned into a tumble."
Photos show Little sustained significant bruising around her eye and face. She described the ordeal as relentless, saying, "I couldn’t get her off of me. I kept saying, ‘What are you doing? I haven’t done anything to you. Why are you hurting me?’"
Little expressed disbelief at the violence, telling ABC7 News, "Never did I think talking to people about what changes and positive things you want to do in our park was going to end slightly unconscious in a park."
She reported enduring MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays, noting bruising on her fingers from defending herself. Little added, "My shoulder blade is out. My face is bruised."
The Newark Police Department responded to the incident on October 25. Investigators identified a suspect with the help of an eyewitness and automated license plate readers. On October 29, police arrested a 31-year-old female resident of Fremont and she has since been formally charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office.
"As an elected official, you run to do good things. But it’s just scary," Little commented on the attack.