UCLA grad student attacked while sleeping in her own bed; suspect arrested

A UCLA graduate student was attacked while sleeping in her own bed in October, leaving an entire neighborhood concerned while she continues to recover from the injuries she suffered. 

Yael Itzkowich, a 24-year-old Israeli woman pursuing a career in acting at UCLA, was asleep in her second floor apartment near S. Bundy Drive and Iowa Avenue when she woke up to the suspect standing over her at about 3:30 a.m., police say. 

"He jumped on her. They started to struggle, he told her to be quiet," said LAPD Officer Eileen Lomis.

The violent attack left Itzkowich with serious injuries that required hospitalization, and though her suspect is now behind bars, she's telling her story online while still recovering at home. 

"Before I could fully process what was happening, he jumped onto my bed and starting choking me," she recounted on an online fundraising platform aimed at helping cover her medical expenses.

Officer Somis says that the suspect, 27-year-old Los Angeles man Gerardo Solarzano, scaled the building and cut through the screen of Itzkowich's apartment window to get in. 

"During the struggle, he pulled out a large knife and he stabbed her repeatedly," Somis said. "Her screams awoke neighbors. The neighbors called police. The suspect fled the apartment."

Once officers arrived on the scene, neighbors were quick to point them in the direction that Solarzano fled, finally locating him not far from where the attack took place — on top of a nearby rooftop. Solarzano has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. 

Investigators say that the two did not know each other and that this was a completely random attack. They're reminding the public to remain vigilant and make sure doors and windows are locked at all times.