75-Year-Old Woman’s Eye Gouged Out in Random Attack

A 75-year-old grandmother was left permanently blind in one eye after a brutal daylight attack outside the King County Courthouse — the latest violent incident to rock downtown Seattle.

Authorities say the suspect, Fale Pea, 42, blindsided Jeanette Marken as she waited to cross a busy street on December 5. Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO News shows Pea approaching Marken from behind before swinging a wooden plank embedded with a long screw.

“She never saw it coming,” said one witness, who helped pull Marken to safety after the horrifying assault. “There was blood everywhere. People were screaming.”

Marken was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where doctors confirmed she had lost her right eye and may need additional reconstructive surgeries.

Pea — who has a long history of violent outbursts — was arrested just minutes after the attack. Body camera footage from the arrest shows officers immediately recognizing him.

“He’s a regular,” one cop can be heard saying. “Usually he punches people. Today he decided to escalate.”

Another officer adds bluntly, “He’s notorious for random assaults on Third Avenue.”

Court records reveal Pea’s lengthy criminal history, including multiple assault convictions and a shocking case in which he stabbed a man eight times at a party. Despite that violent past, he served just 18 months of community custody.

In 2025 alone, Pea was booked into King County Jail eight separate times — for offenses ranging from assault and indecent exposure to property destruction and drug charges.

Marken’s son, Andrius Vyrikis, says his mother’s life will never be the same.

“To take a wood club with nails and hit her in the face with full force — that’s not someone who can be rehabilitated,” he told KOMO News. “I want someone to look us in the eye and say, ‘We’re fixing this.’”

He also blasted city leaders and the justice system for repeatedly releasing Pea despite his violent history. “What the hell is wrong with your system?” he asked.

Pea was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation following his arrest. On December 29, a King County judge ruled that he is fit to stand trial. He remains behind bars on a $1 million bond, with his trial set for February 17, 2026.

The savage assault has reignited debate over Seattle’s handling of repeat offenders and its ongoing struggle with violent crime in public spaces — particularly near courthouses and transit hubs.

“It’s terrifying,” said one downtown worker. “You can’t even walk to work anymore without wondering if someone’s going to attack you for no reason.”

For Marken’s family, that fear is now reality. “She was just standing there,” her son said. “That’s all she did — she stood at a corner. And now she’ll never see out of that eye again.”