Marissa Young had to have five surgeries after she was attacked by Darrell Waters in July (Pictures: KTLA; GoFundMe)
A woman shared photos of herself after surviving a violent attack and rape by a man only hours after he was released from police custody.
Marissa Young was walking her dog around 1am on July 31 in Torrance, California when a stranger approached her from behind.
Darrell Waters leaped onto the woman and tackled her to the ground, where he proceeded to beat her with his fists and rape her.
‘I was tackled from behind, I heard nothing,’ Young told KTLA. ‘I didn’t have headphones in, I wasn’t looking at my phone, I was just walking straight forward to my destination.’
The attacker can be seen in security camera footage provided by investigators (Picture: Torrance Police/KTLA 5 News)
Young was left with a broken nose, eye socket, and jaw. She has had five surgeries since the attack in July.
Waters was picked up by police 24 hours after the attack, about 2 miles from the crime scene. He was charged with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and forcible sexual penetration.
Waters had been arrested only 36 hours earlier for carrying an illegal dagger. He was charged with a misdemeanor for unlawful possession of a weapon.
He was released from police custody only 12 hours before the attack.
Darrell Waters was previously released from jail after being picked up on a weapons charge (Picture: Torrance Police)
Torrance City Attorney Patrick Sullivan stated that his office ‘does not provide any input as to the custodial status of a misdemeanor arrestee until the case is presented for filing consideration.’
According to the city attorney, Waters had already been released from police custody by the time they filed charges against him. They also confirmed that police were following proper rules laid out in the California Penal Code.
The Torrance Police Department also confirmed they were following standard procedure by releasing Waters.
‘The Department’s mission to protect the community is the primary consideration when determining whether to release any individual,’ they stated. ‘Our Department strives to ensure that everyone with whom we come into contact are treated fairly.’
Young’s friends set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations for the victim, who still needs extensive medical care, including reconstructive dental surgery. According to her friend, Young’s injuries are so severe she has not been able to work since the attack.
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The attacker was released from jail only hours before the horrifying assault.