A Talmadge woman was stabbed in the early hours of New Year's Day, and her neighbors said that violent crime could have been prevented if city officials had responded to their requests for street light repairs.
San Diego police said the victim walked outside her home on 50th Street, just north of El Cajon Boulevard, after hearing her dog bark.
An unknown male assailant attacked her and stabbed her in the stomach.
A witness told NBC 7 he found the woman sitting in her driveway, shaking from the cold, and bleeding from at least one stab wound. That witness said the stab wound on the woman's stomach appeared to be superficial.
Police and paramedics responded and took the victim to Mercy hospital. She was treated for "non-life threatening" injuries and she is expected to fully recover.
But neighbors are angry about the incident. They said their street is safe during the day, but the lack of working street lights makes it dangerous at night.
"I've been followed down the street before at night, so I don't go out by myself," said Hannah Martin.
Local
Another resident, who declined to give his name, said he still walks to the store at night but doesn't feel as safe with the street lights not working.
"That light being out makes it extremely dark, all the way down (the street), and that bothers me," he said.
David Meminger, who lives in an apartment next door to the crime scene, said he has called San Diego City Hall at least twice in the past month to complain about the broken street lights.
Meminger said two city crews have checked the lights and circuits but have not fixed the problem.
"They said, 'Well, it's probably a fuse.' Well, that must be one hell of a big fuse, that they can't find one to put in there," Meminger said.
He said he may call city officials again this week to demand repairs be done on the three broken street lights.
"It's a big safety problem, especially in this area," Meminger said.
