HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On November 20, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that Donald Offerman has been charged with attempting to kill a Russian tourist this past week at the Hollywood & Highland Center.

On November 18, the victim and his family who were tourists visiting from Russia, walked up a flight of stairs at the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex when Offerman, a 54-year-old transient from Los Angeles, allegedly came up behind the family and slashed the Russian man with a knife.

Prosecutors stated that Offerman then proceeded to rush toward the victim’s family and allegedly swung the knife at them multiple times, which then led to a struggle transpiring between Offerman and the victim. The victim was cut once again by a knife, while the victim’s family ran away.

Two off-duty New York Police Department detectives were both in Los Angeles on official police business, when they stepped out from a nearby Starbucks and witnessed the incident. The two detectives ran over to subdue Offerman, detaining him to gunpoint. Their identities were exclusively revealed by ABC7 as Detective Dan Mulligan and his partner, Detective Albert Ramos.

Mulligan told ABC7 in an interview that there was immediate concern for the victim in what he explains as a 4-to-5-inch slice about an inch-and-a-half-wide to the victim’s neck.

“It looked bad at first,” Mulligan says. “I just hope it wasn’t the jugular and thank God, I believe it wasn’t because he’s still alive today.” The victim was taken to the hospital listed in stable condition.

According to a press release from the District Attorney’s office, “Offerman was charged with one count of attempted murder with the special allegation he personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife, and four counts of assault with a deadly weapon.” He was arraigned on November 20 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Canyon News reached out to Los Angeles District Attorney Office’s Public Information Officer, Greg Risling
who said there is no information on a motive behind the attack.

Bail is recommended by prosecutors to be set at $670,000. If Offerman is convicted as charged, he will face a possible maximum sentence of 24 years to life in state prison.

The case continues to remain under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division.