A man in Southern California is still in the hospital after his friend severely beaten and stabbed him in the head.
Michael Roque, 35, was going to his car on his way to work on July 22 at about 8:30 a.m. He had just left his Loma Linda apartment.
Mark Eldridge, Roque’s 37-year-old neighbor, is said to have come up behind him and hit him in the head with a rock at that point. He kept hitting Roque with the rock and tried to cut his throat. Then he used a knife to stab him in the side of the face and head.
When the officers from San Bernardino County got there, they saw Roque bleeding heavily on the ground.
His name is Raul Gomez and he is Roque’s father. “At that point, that was the only way I could say it.” It’s hard to believe that this would happen.
“Roque and the suspect did not know each other at all,” his family said.
He was rushed to Loma Linda Medical Center and stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) in a coma. Gomez thinks the suspect knew who Roque was and was waiting for the right time to attack.
The police first got a call from Roque reporting the attack. This was around the same time that Eldridge called to say that his room had been broken into.
Later, deputies found that Eldridge’s house “lacked forced entry or any evidence to suggest a break-in.”
But proof of the attack was found, and Eldridge was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. After, he was taken to the West Valley Detention Center and charged with attempted murder. He is being held there on a $500,000 bail.
Family and friends said that Roque had come out of his sleep on Saturday and was able to speak a little, but he still looked lost and confused. Dr.s said that a 3–4-inch piece of the blade that was used to attack him was still stuck in his head.
Doctors told Jaime Roque, the victim’s cousin, that if they took it out, Michael would bleed out, and if they left it there, it could lead to an infection and kill him. “The doctors let Michael make the choice, and he said to keep it in.”
Roque’s family and friends said he used to work at Loma Linda Medical Center but recently started a new job at UC Riverside. They are hoping that he will get better soon.
When asked about his kid, Gomez said, “He’s a happy, fun-loving guy.” “He loves his friends, his job, and life in general.” “Just a great guy.”