Brutal Attack on Elderly Woman in Seattle Highlights Concerns About Repeat Offenders

In a deeply disturbing incident caught on surveillance footage, 75-year-old Jeanette Marken became the victim of a horrific random attack while simply waiting at a crosswalk near the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle. The December 5th assault, which left the elderly woman permanently blind in one eye, has renewed conversations about public safety and the handling of repeat violent offenders in the city. The footage shows 42-year-old Fale Vaigalepa Pea approaching Marken from behind and striking her in the face with a makeshift weapon—a wooden stick with a metal screw attached—which he allegedly swung “like a baseball bat.” The unprovoked nature of the attack has shocked the community, with Detective Eric Muñoz noting that the victim “had no opportunity to protect or defend herself.”

The aftermath of the attack was immediate and severe. According to a GoFundMe page set up by Marken’s son, his mother was simply delivering food when she was ambushed. “The blow was so violent that she fell into the ground instantly,” he wrote, explaining that beyond losing vision in her right eye permanently, his mother suffered “multiple fractures in her face, skull and nose” and was “losing too much blood” at the scene. Fortunately, several bystanders rushed to assist Marken, called emergency services, and even pursued the suspect until authorities arrived. Their quick action helped lead to Pea’s prompt arrest by a King County Sheriff’s Office deputy stationed near the courthouse.

What makes this case particularly troubling is the suspect’s extensive criminal background. Body camera footage captured officers immediately recognizing Pea, describing him as “notorious for random assaults” along Third Avenue. One officer remarked, “He’s a regular. He usually punches. I guess today he decided to escalate from his usual.” According to local reports, Pea has cycled through the jail system eight times in 2024 alone, with a violent history stretching back years. Court documents reveal his first major conviction came in 2012 for a 2011 party stabbing that injured two people, with one victim stabbed eight times. For that offense, he received an 18-month sentence of community custody.

The pattern of violence continued unabated in the years that followed. Court records show Pea accumulated multiple assault convictions: one misdemeanor in 2020, four in 2023, and another in 2024. Even more concerning, in 2025, he was reportedly booked eight separate times for incidents ranging from assault and indecent exposure to drug offenses, property destruction, unlawful weapons use, and malicious mischief. However, local reports indicate none of these arrests resulted in charges being filed, raising serious questions about gaps in the criminal justice system and how repeat violent offenders are handled in Seattle.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which handles felony cases, has defended its handling of Pea’s case history, stating they “charged every violent felony case involving Pea that police referred to its office,” including the 2011 assault and the current attack on Marken. For the December 5th incident, prosecutors have charged Pea with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement, which would lengthen his sentence if convicted. They’ve requested $1 million bail and electronic home monitoring if bail is posted. The office clarified that Pea’s other assault convictions were misdemeanor cases handled by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, not King County prosecutors, suggesting the complexity of jurisdictional responsibility in addressing repeat offenders.

This tragic case has become a focal point in ongoing discussions about public safety in Seattle. For Jeanette Marken and her family, the consequences are permanent and devastating—a life forever altered by a random act of violence that potentially could have been prevented. The victim now faces a long recovery journey, dealing with permanent vision loss and extensive facial injuries. Meanwhile, the community grapples with difficult questions about how to better protect vulnerable citizens from individuals with documented patterns of violent behavior. As Pea remains in custody awaiting trial, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the real human cost when systems designed to protect the public fail to adequately address patterns of escalating violence before they result in tragedy.