A North County mother stabbed three times and carjacked by a teen at the Civic Center Transit Station in Vista is expected to survive, but has a long way until she's physically and emotionally recovered.
“Nowadays, the way things are, you can’t trust anybody, not even a 15-year-old kid," Giselle Andino said. "As much as you want to be helpful to someone, you just can’t trust anyone and it's sad.
Andino, 33, was at the transit station Sunday night at around 10:30 p.m. when the teen boy allegedly attacked her out of nowhere.
“He was aiming for the heart every time so he wanted me dead,“ Andino said.
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She survived three stab wounds, all in the chest, from what she describes as a steak knife. She has a collapsed lung, and has trouble breathing and talking.
“They are stapled shut and they hurt like hell," Andino said.
And it was hell she went through to get those injuries.
Andino said she saw the 15-year-old suspect leaving the transit station but he returned.
“I didn’t know if he needed to call his parents or what it was. I was offering my help,“ Andino said.
He came to her door and asked if he could borrow her phone. She offered to dial the number. The window was down just far enough, instead of giving her a number, he stuck his arm through it and stabbed her the first time. Then he opened the driver’s side door and stabbed her two more times as he dragged her into the parking lot. Then he jumped in the car and took off.
Andino was afraid she would not survive. She has a disease similar to hemophilia which causes her to bleed more if injured. All she could think about was her 8-year-old daughter McKenzie.
“I do feel lucky, yes, because when I was calling for help and the blood was spraying out of my chest, I really felt like I wasn’t going to see my kid again,“ Andino said.
Medics dressed her wounds and managed to get her on board an ambulance. Responding sheriff’s deputies got a lead on the teen suspect in Andino's Mercedes.
Deputies gave chase and after a lengthy pursuit, the teen wrecked the car just before getting on State Route 76 investigators said. He was arrested after a 20-minute foot chase.
“I was in a lot of pain but glad to be alive,“ Andino said.
With a long road back to health in front of her, Andino can’t help thinking about her future and that of her attacker.
At last check, the suspect remains in Juvenile custody.
Andino does not expect to be released from the hospital for another week
Friends have organized an online fundraiser to help Andino along as she recovers.
