Woman Bites Chunk from Stranger’s Forehead in Shocking ‘Zombie Attack’ in Seattle

Diana Gonzalez was walking to a convenience store near her downtown Seattle workplace when a stranger threw a food wrapper at her. Moments later, Gonzalez was on the ground with a serious wound to her forehead, according to police.

The attack happened around 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 18 near Third Avenue and Marion Street. Gonzalez told officers that when she asked the woman why she had thrown the wrapper, the woman called her “the inferior race,” used a homophobic slur and spat at her. The woman then allegedly pulled Gonzalez to the ground and bit a piece of flesh about an inch across from her forehead. (SPD Blotter)

A nearby worker tried to separate the women and followed the suspect after she fled, police said. Officers reported finding blood on the sidewalk and a piece of flesh in a grate. Gonzalez was taken to a hospital, and police said her injury would require surgery and leave permanent damage. (SPD Blotter)

“This was a totally random attack,” Gonzalez told NBC 16 in an interview. She said the wound looked like a “zombie bite” when she first saw it.

Police arrested Kamilia Chadli, 36, and referred the case to King County prosecutors for possible felony assault and hate crime charges. Prosecutors have charged Chadli with second-degree assault, and her bail was set at $150,000. She is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 28, according to the published court information. The allegations have not been proven in court. (SPD Blotter)

The difference between the police referral and the filed charge matters. Prosecutors told KIRO 7 that a hate crime charge could still be added if the evidence meets the legal standard. Under Washington law, prosecutors must prove that an assault was motivated, at least in part, by the accused person’s perception of a protected characteristic such as race or sexual orientation. The reported slurs are part of the investigation, but they do not mean a hate crime charge has already been filed. (KIRO 7 News Seattle)

For Gonzalez, the immediate concern is both her recovery and the possibility of another attack. “I’m just concerned that she would do it again because it was so random,” she told NBC 16. The Sept. 28 hearing is the next scheduled step in the criminal case.