Woman Feeding the Homeless Attacked from Behind with Metal Pipe

A woman known for showing up week after week to feed unhoused residents at Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park was brutally beaten during a meal service and left with a broken jaw and multiple teeth knocked out, according to a fundraiser for her medical care.

The GoFundMe, organized by Catherine Schetina for longtime volunteer Eva Woods, says the attack happened during the group’s regular Sunday lunch service on Feb. 22, 2026.

According to the fundraiser, the suspect approached Woods from behind without warning and hit her in the face with a metal pipe.

“During our regular lunch service on Sunday, Feb. 22, a woman came through the park with a metal pipe. Without conversation, she came up behind Eva and hit her in the jaw,” the page states.

Woods was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery the next day, the fundraiser says. Doctors reportedly found both her upper and lower jaw had been broken. Her jaw has since been wired shut, and she will need dental implants after losing six teeth in the attack, according to the page.

Friends say Woods has spent the past six years running the MacArthur Project, a volunteer-run mutual aid effort that provides more than 700 meals a week in the park. Volunteers reportedly serve food three times a week and also hand out hygiene kits, groceries, tents, and other supplies.

Schetina wrote on the fundraiser that the alleged attacker wasn’t someone the group recognized and didn’t seem known to others in the area, calling it a “bizarre one-off” and saying it didn’t reflect the community they serve.

Still, the incident is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing safety and emergency response concerns tied to the area. Reports cited in the story note that MacArthur Park and Skid Row generate heavy volumes of 911 calls as Los Angeles continues grappling with homelessness and mental health crises.

Woods has also addressed supporters directly. In a message posted on Instagram, she thanked donors and said she’s focused on recovering — and returning to the park as soon as she physically can.

The fundraiser had raised roughly $39,000 as of the report, with organizers estimating about $30,000 in costs for dental implants and related medical care.