A 73-year-old Tacoma homeowner was attacked in his yard and hit in head with hammer
A 73-year-old man was attacked and hit in the head with a hammer in the backyard of his Tacoma home Wednesday afternoon. Police are searching for the assailant.
The victim called 911 to report the attack at about 4:19 p.m. in the 1100 block of South 40th Street. Police said the homeowner noticed a man acting strangely in his backyard and went to check on him. When he got outside, the man struck him several times in the head.
The 73-year-old told dispatchers the man went into his home through the door he’d just come out of and could hear him breaking things inside. Tacoma Police Department officers surrounded the home , believing the attacker was still inside.
The victim was taken to the hospital. Police didn’t have an update on his condition Thursday, but officers said the man was conscious and alert when they contacted him.
Police made announcements from outside the home telling the attacker to come out, but he had fled. Officers eventually searched inside with a police dog with no success.
Officers canvassed the area for the attacker, and a nearby Washington State Patrol plane searched from the skies, but he was not located.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 10:58 AM.
