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October 11, 2024Veteran Brutally Attacked On 9/11 In Baton Rouge
Veteran brutally attacked on 9/11 In Baton Rouge! It’s hard to even start, but full transparency is something we’ve always valued. We want to share the good, the bad, and sometimes the absolutely devastating. This week, there’s no “good.” Just the bad and ugly as we recount how everything unraveled on September 11th, a day we’ll remember for reasons beyond the tragedy already tied to that date.
Veteran Brutally Attacked On 9/11: What Happened
On the morning of September 11th, amidst the downpour brought by Hurricane Francine in Baton Rouge, the day seemed like any other. But, as you can tell by what followed, it was anything but. It began with Fazino, my husband, taking our dog Gypsy outside for a quick bathroom break.
It was around 8 AM when it all escalated. Our neighbor, someone we hadn’t really known before, decided to start hurling insults our way. Gypsy, our dog, had wandered just slightly in front of our home, but he was still screaming about leash laws. Despite being a complete 10 houses away, he kept approaching us.
At some point, this neighbor became absolutely unhinged. Not just yelling anymore, but verbal threats cloaked in obscenities piled on top of aggressive body language. He wasn’t just mad over the dog; he was set on confrontation. Even as Faustino went towards Gypsy to bring her back to safety, the man kept closing in.
A Terrifying Turn: Verbal Threats To Brutal Assault
What happened next was swift and brutal. The man actually left the street, stepped up onto the sidewalk, and got right into our space. He was still focused and furious about the dog. But before my husband could reach Gypsy, this guy—this attacker—started waving his gun around. He showed Fazino the weapon blatantly and continued to spew violence with words.
As my husband mentioned in his recount, he’d served in Iraq. A stranger flashing a gun in a public confrontation didn’t intimidate him. He confronted the man verbally while reaching down to grab Gypsy safely. And that’s when it happened. Out of nowhere, this guy swung, pulling no punches. He hit Faustino hard across the face, possibly more than once. Somehow through sheer panic and adrenaline, Faustino turned towards the house, carrying Gypsy towards safety, blood spilling from his mouth onto the porch.
Blood And Chaos: A Call For Help
Meanwhile, I was completely unaware in the back of the house. All I heard through the rain and confusion was Faustino yelling for me. It’s one of those moments when you don’t fully process what’s happening, but you feel this immediate need to react. He told me to call the police. At first, all I could think of was that Gypsy may have been injured, but when I rushed to the front door, it was clear that wasn’t the case.
When I finally saw him, the sight of my husband’s bloodied face told me everything. His face was swollen, bruised, and I knew without any doubt something was horribly wrong. As I opened the door and witnessed the scene, I could see our attacker—this towering guy well over six feet, still yelling aggressively. His gun was clearly visible, holstered at his hip, while his dogs snarled alongside him.
The sinister reason behind why he hit Faustino? The man kept saying it was “because of the dog.” Apparently, Gypsy wasn’t moving, so my husband deserved to be violently assaulted. The reasoning was absurd and left me paralyzed by shock.
Even in the haze of pain and confusion, we made the decision to call the authorities. I described everything: his physical appearance, the dogs, the exact location of the assault. I followed him because I needed to know where he lived.
An Ongoing Fear: PTSD, Reflection, and Our Neighborhood’s Reality
This man, a neighbor we’d barely gotten to know since moving here, unleashed his rage within days of us settling into our new home. What started with unwarranted anger became a demonstration of violent intent.
I can’t stop thinking that if things had gone just slightly differently… what would he have done next? The possibility of using that gun crossed both our minds too many times. This man was clearly unstable, blurring safety with terror at a moment’s notice. Despite the fact that we had served our country, it didn’t protect us from civilian violence in what’s supposed to be peaceful everyday life. In a matter of seconds, what’s meant to be typical, mundane events turn into life-altering nightmares.
Moving Forward After The Brutal 9/11 Attack
We filed the police report, recounted every single detail, down to how his towering presence made us feel unsafe in our own home. Yet the fear lingers. Life has been different ever since that brutal attack on 9/11. There are still so many questions running circles in my mind. Why did he do it? Will he escalate again? Who else in our neighborhood could face his wrath?
At the end of the day, I urge anyone who faces threats like we did to act quickly. Be mindful of those unexpectedly vicious situations because they can turn dangerous when you least expect it. And most importantly, never let anyone—even a deranged neighbor—make you live in fear in your own home. Until we know this man’s next move, our sense of peace is shaken, but we refuse to stay silent.
Stay tuned for part two as we uncover what happens next with surrounding this assault. Veteran Brutally Attacked In Baton Rouge On 9/11.