MIAMI (WSVN) - A woman who was attacked in an apparent random fit of rage in downtown Miami is sharing her story about the beating and stabbing that left her partially blind, led to the arrest of one man with a police record and underscored security concerns at her luxury condo.
Caitlin Dydzuhn’s unimaginable nightmare unfolded on the morning of May 19 just outside of the MarinaBlue condominiums, located along Biscayne Boulevard just across from the Kaseya Center.
“It was pure terror,” said Dydzuhn.
Police said a homeless man whom the victim walking past decided to attack her for no reason, brutally beating her and even stabbing and slashing at her.
In an exclusive interview with 7News, Dydzuhn fought back tears as she spoke about the harrowing incident for the first time. She said she had just gotten outside to walk her dog when she was ambushed.
“Gettting punched over and over again,” she said.
Investigators said the assailant punched Dydzuhn several times and slammed her head into the ground repeatedly.
At one point, detectives said, the suspect stabbed her with a homemade shank made from a tire pressure gauge and a nail.
Dydzuhn believed she was going to die as it all happened.
“‘He is going to kill me, whether it’s this next punch, whether it’s the one after,'” she said.
The victim said she still lives the horrors of that attack every night.
“When I’m trying to fall asleep at night, that’s what keeps me up at night, it’s that memory of fighting for my life and knowing that I’m losing, thinking, ‘Is this next punch going to be the one that kills me?'” she said.
On top of the emotional scars, the violent attack left several physical scars.
Although she’s out of the hospital and on the mend, Dydzuhn suffered wounds all over her face and now has partial blindness in one eye.
She credited a good Samaritan who rushed to her aide, fighting off the attacker, who was later identified as 49-year-old Raydean Johnson.
Johnson was taken into custody by police after a three-hour standoff ended with officers deploying a Taser to bring the man down.
Authorities said Johnson admitted to the attack at some point during the standoff.
Johnson stood before a judge the next day to face one count of attempted felony murder.
Dydzuhn told 7News one of the more difficult things to process about the attack was the fact it happened just steps away from the building that’s meant to be her sanctuary.
“It’s the most terrifying feeling, to feel helpless and to be screaming on the ground, and no one’s coming to help you, not my building security,” she said.
Prominent trial attorney Judd Rosen raised several questions about the security provided by Dydzuhn’s condo.
“In her own front yard? Where was the security?” said Rosen. “It’s an absolute horror movie.”
The attorney argues security staff at the condo should have been monitoring the surrounding areas outside of the tower.
“Where were the cameras? The cameras are blocked by bushes and shrubbery,” said Rosen.
He believes the condo’s security lapses prevented them from spotting Johnson, an individual with a violent criminal past — full of several charges of assault and battery and who was known to the area — lingering around the entrance.
“He was a known problem with a known history,” said Rosen. “The building has an obligation to protect and warn against known threats.”
Dydzuhn stepped forward to share her pain in hopes that it helps prevent others from being attacked, especially right outside of their own homes.
“No one should have to live in fear of walking their dog, exercising in their own neighborhood, being a part of their community,” she said.
7News reached out via email after hours to MarinaBlue for a response about the building’s security measures. As of early Friday morning, no one has responded.
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