Kenta Sasakado felt something was off about a man who seemed to be aimlessly circling the farmers market with his dog, but he went about his business, shopping for a snack before he planned to watch the sunset and relax.
A few moments later, those plans were derailed by a sudden burst of violence that shattered the afternoon calm.
“Nobody thinks a farmers market on a Sunday would be a place someone tries to kill you at,” Sasakado said.
As the man circled, Sasakado, a 26-year-old grad student from Pomona, browsed the market, which sets up each Sunday across from the high-end 2nd & PCH shopping center. Sasakado stopped to sample apples from a vendor when he crossed paths with the man for the second or third time. This time, they briefly made eye contact.
“I looked at him, and as soon as I looked at him — within like a second, he just charged at me with his knife and started stabbing me,” Sasakado said.
According to Sasakado, when he collapsed to the ground, the man’s dog bit him once on the left thigh and once on his right middle finger.
Sasakado escaped to a nearby stand, where a bystander wrapped a jacket around his head and neck to help stem the bleeding.
Police soon arrived and arrested the suspected attacker, whom Sasakado was told had been held down by a nearby Good Samaritan.
The suspect, Kevin Augustine, 37, of Downey, now faces charges of one count of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder and one count of aggravated mayhem, according to court records. If convicted of either charge, Augustine could face life imprisonment, the records show.
Investigators, so far, have not publicly discussed any possible motive.
Councilmember Kristina Duggan, who represents the area, said Monday that she was still gathering facts, but, “Safety must be our top priority, and that means getting people with severe mental illnesses and addictions off the streets and into treatment, especially if drugs are involved.”
The attack left Sasakado with eight stab wounds, including one to his temple that caused a skull fracture and “a bit of internal bleeding,” he told the Long Beach Post in a phone interview. Another wound below his jaw came one inch away from severing an artery, he said.
From the hospital, Sasakado speculated about what could’ve sparked the attack.
He and the man were both circling the market, he said — Sasakado looking for something to buy, the man appearing to have no clear direction. Maybe, Sasakado said, when they ran into each other at the apple booth, the man formed a paranoid belief that Sasakado was following him.
Despite the encounter, Sasakado said he’s mostly just thankful to all the bystanders who quickly rushed to his aid.
“I didn’t get a chance to really thank them,” he said.
As of Thursday morning, a GoFundMe set up to help with Sasakado’s medical bills had raised $7,460 toward its $9,000 goal. Management at the farmers market also sent him a “recovery basket” with wares from vendors.
Sasakado, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is studying to become a marriage and family therapist, said he hopes the attack is a wakeup call for legislators and local officials. Something needs to be done, he said, to help people in need of mental health or drug treatment before tragedy strikes.
Augustine remains behind bars on $1 million bail.