A Florida family's birthday celebration turned into a nightmare when a 75-year-old woman was violently assaulted with a frying pan while walking to their home. The unprovoked attack in Sunrise, Florida, on June 10 was captured on disturbing surveillance footage.
According to the Daily Mail, the victim, who is the mother of Fiorella Lopez, was simply walking along the sidewalk to attend a family birthday party when she was approached by a shirtless man.
Video shows the attacker grabbing the elderly woman by her dress collar before striking her in the head with a frying pan, causing her to fall to the ground.
Lopez's sister had noticed the suspicious individual behaving strangely moments before the assault occurred. She attempted to warn her mother, who was approaching the residence unaware of any potential danger.
"She's walking alone, and my sister, who's waiting for her at the entrance, notices someone two doors down, behaving strangely, and she begins to signal to my mother, who's innocently walking," Lopez explained to local media. The warning signals, unfortunately, came too late to prevent the attack.
When Lopez's brother arrived at the scene to help their mother, he also became a target of the assailant. "And at that moment, my brother arrived, and he attacked my brother too. He also smashed his head in," Lopez recounted, describing how the violent encounter escalated to include multiple family members.
The 75-year-old woman suffered extensive bruising across her face and leg as a result of the unprovoked attack. Photos released show purple and black bruises covering significant portions of her body following the assault.
Lopez's brother sustained even more serious injuries during his attempt to protect their mother. "My mother has several bruises on her face and leg. My brother's head was split open," Lopez detailed when describing the extent of the injuries inflicted on her family members.
The psychological impact on the family has been just as devastating as the physical injuries. Lopez emphasized the emotional toll, stating, "And what the rest of us are experiencing is psychological damage. Emotional damage. We're all terrified."
Police identified the attacker as 26-year-old Carlos Hurtado Florez, who reportedly had engaged in other violent behavior immediately before the incident. According to authorities, Florez had beaten his own brother inside their home and vandalized his car just minutes before attacking the elderly woman.
Florez now faces multiple serious charges, including aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and two additional counts of battery. These charges reflect both the severity of the unprovoked attack and the vulnerability of the elderly victim.
Lopez expressed deep concern after learning that Florez had a previous criminal record. "We don't know these people. The only thing that because it's public record that he had, he already was involved in a crime last year," she said, adding, "What I saw, he didn't stay more than a month in the jail. So we are scared."
The Lopez family had moved to South Florida from Venezuela seeking safety and a better quality of life, making the random attack particularly distressing for them. Their hopes for peace in their new community were violently disrupted by the incident.
"We came here for peace. We never imagined something like this could happen to our mother," Lopez shared, highlighting the stark contrast between their expectations when immigrating and the frightening reality they now face. The family's sense of security has been profoundly shaken.
The case has alarmed the Sunrise community, where residents now worry about similar random acts of violence. For the Lopez family, what should have been a joyful birthday celebration instead became a traumatic event that has left them questioning their safety in their adopted home.
