A 26-year-old French woman named Lola was violently attacked by a Nigerian migrant in a park in Toulouse on Jan. 2, with news reports now indicating that she was saved from imminent rape and murder by a homeless man who was regularly seen in the park.
The 58-year-old hero stopped the attack in the middle of the day, just before 2:00 p.m., while the young woman was out jogging.
Police say the Nigerian man flashed a knife at Lola, at which point he ordered her to remove her leggings. Instead of complying, Lola fought back and screamed for help. The Nigerian responded by punching her several times in the face and then began to try and strangle her. While he was choking her out, the courageous 58-year-old homeless man dived against the attacker, sending him fleeing the scene. Not only did the homeless man save Lola, but he had the presence of mind to take photographs of the Nigerian before he fled.
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Police quickly arrived on the scene and found Lola in shock, with a swollen face. They worked to keep her conscious as a medical unit arrived to help her. The police removed their jackets to keep her warm in the cold. She was transported to the hospital and released after doctors kept her under observation.
Police found a knife, running shoes and a hat at the scene. Although he managed to escape, he turned himself into the police the next day. The police arrested him and took him for questioning.
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The prosecutor in the case, Samuel Vuelta Simon, said the 32-year-old Nigerian was illegally in France and was well known by the police. He has attempted to legalize his stay in France since 2018, and all his attempts have been rejected. Despite five different court orders to deport him from French territory (OQTF), he has managed to stay in the country.
At the court hearing, the Nigerian admitted that he had wanted to murder Lola, which led the prosecutors to also add an attempted murder charge.
