| Appraiser Survives Brutal Attack
Susan Rizk attacked with sword November 28, 2005 By PATRICK CROWLEY |
| An appraiser for a South Lake Tahoe, Calif., mortgage company has survived a bazaar and brutal sword attack by the father of her child.Susan Rizk, 37, who does appraisal work for American Mortgage of South Lake Tahoe, was allegedly attacked by a former boyfriend who is also the father of her 4-year-old daughter.
“It’s just bazaar,” Lt. Martin Hewlett of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department told MortgageDaily.com. “I’ve been doing this for a whole lot of years and I’ve never seen anything this graphic.” Steven Wasserman, 35, who is facing multiple charges in the attack, allegedly used a double-backed, 2-foot medieval-type sword on Rizk, cutting her more than 10 times in the Oct. 25 attack at her apartment, Hewlett said. Rizk was undergoing surgery Wednesday while employees at American Mortgage “were pulling for her,” loan officer Delilah Nystrom told MortgageDaily.com. “She’s just a petite little thing, but she’s a fighter and we’re pulling for her,” Nystrom said. “The news of what happened was devastating and sickening. You see this stuff in L.A. and big cities, not Tahoe.” Nystrom also underwent surgery two days after the attack. Wasserman is being held in jail and faces a number of charges that include attempted murder, felony spouse abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted he faces 25 years to life in prison, Hewlett said. Wasserman has had previous run ins with the law over allegations of domestic abuse. He had been accused of violating a protection order that mandated he stay at least 100 yards away from Rizk and was due to answer those charges in court the day before the attack, Hewlett said. “We know he was preparing to go to court,” Hewlett said. “He got a haircut and told people he was going into court. But then he didn’t show — and then tried to kill her.” Rizk’s daughter was in the one bedroom apartment during the attack but was not injured, Hewlett said. Police are investigating how Wasserman obtained the knife. Hewlett said he recently purchased several “bladed weapons” over the Internet, but police haven’t determined if one used in the alleged attack. Nystrom described Rizk as “so bubbly and happy that no matter what was going on in life she always had a positive outlook.” Rizk pulled through the operation and celebrated her birthday on Thanksgiving amidst family, flowers and get well cards, according to the Nevada Appeal. She was reportedly barely able to speak, but she could take a few steps with the help of a walker. |
Patrick Crowley is a MortgageDaily.com feature journalist and blogger, and a reporter, blogger and columnist for The Cincinnati Enquirer. e-mail Patrick at: [email protected]
