A man accused of sexually assaulting a mother who was walking her 4-week-old baby in Brentwood was charged for the attack Friday.
Abraham Shily, 26, is accused of sexually and physically assaulting Carmina Lu as she was walking in the 900 block of South Gretna Green Way on July 16.
Lu had been speaking to a friend in the neighborhood at around 5 p.m. Moments after saying goodbye, a shirtless attacker suddenly approached her from behind.
“He grabbed me by the hips with both of his hands and started sexually assaulting me,” Lu said.
As Lu fought back and tried to defend herself, the suspect repeatedly punched her in the face. Neighbors heard Lu screaming and came running to her rescue, scaring off the attacker.
The violent assault left the mother with multiple injuries including a split lip, cuts under her eyes, notable bruises and a scalp injury that required staples.
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The victim, Carmina Lu, suffered cuts, scrapes and bruising to her face and head in the July 16, 2024, attack. (KTLA) -
The victim, Carmina Lu, suffered cuts, scrapes and bruising to her face and head in the July 16, 2024, attack. (KTLA) -
A man believed to be responsible for attacking a woman with her newborn in Brentwood on July 16, 2024. (KTLA) -
A man believed to be responsible for attacking a woman with her newborn in Brentwood on July 16, 2024. (KTLA) -
A man believed to be responsible for attacking a woman with her newborn in Brentwood on July 16, 2024. (KTLA)
“The baby, thank goodness, was not touched,” Lu said of the confrontation. “Honestly, what scared me the most is that right before he ran away, he glanced at my stroller for a split second. If something had happened to the baby, I would’ve been devastated.”
Two days later on July 18, the suspect, Shily, was arrested. He posted bond and was later released. Some residents told KTLA he had returned to his mother’s home which was located in the same neighborhood where the attack occurred.
Lu and her neighbors were shaken by the ordeal, with many feeling their sense of security in an otherwise safe neighborhood had been taken away.
“I just want to walk in my neighborhood and feel safe about it,” Lu said. “I don’t think I’m going to feel that for a while.”
On Aug. 8, Shily was charged with:
- One felony count of assault with a deadly weapon
- One misdemeanor count of sexual battery
- One misdemeanor count of child abuse under circumstances or conditions other than great bodily injury or death
- One misdemeanor count of false imprisonment
- One misdemeanor count of false imprisonment
Shily pleaded not guilty to all charges at an arraignment on Aug. 8.
A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to nine years in state prison.
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.