Russian tourist stabbed in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES: A Russian on holiday with his family was stabbed several times in the tourist heart of Hollywood by a man wielding a kitchen knife, before two off-duty police officers rushed in to overpower the attacker.

The unidentified victim, who is in his 30s and was recovering in hospital, was standing on a sidewalk close to where the Oscars are usually held when a man approached and began stabbing him on Wednesday afternoon, officer Jane Kim, of the Los Angeles Police Department, told AFP.



The attacker, identified as Donald Offerman, 54, was subdued by two off-duty New York police officers who happened to be in the area, Kim said. He has been charged with attempted murder.

The Russian man was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery and was in stable condition.

Witnesses said he was stabbed in the neck and arms as he tried to protect his family.

"It's really unfortunate that someone from out of town came to visit, to relax and gets attacked in this manner," Kim said.



Although Los Angeles has experienced a steady decline in crime in the last 12 years, the first six months of this year saw a 12.7 percent increase in overall crime, according to city officials.