63-year-old woman "assaulted by a drug-crazed naked man" in Los Angeles neighborhood

Rick Dreyfus was at his new development project on Barrington Avenue in Los Angeles' Sawtelle neighborhood when he and his construction workers heard a woman shouting for help.

"What I saw was him on top of her right there hitting her," Dreyfus recalled. "She was being assaulted by a drug-crazed naked man."

The suspect, 33-year-old Ishmail Bangura, pinned the 63-year-old woman to the ground after breaking into her apartment. The Los Angeles Police Department said he threatened to rape and kill her before she ran outside. Dreyfus and his crew heard her screaming and ran to scare Bangura away. 

"We looked over and saw a man assaulting an elderly lady,' Dreyfus recalled. "She was face down. He was on her back, and he was sexually assaulting her."

Police said Bangura hit a 3-year-old child in the face before attacking the woman. 

Court documents show Bangura has several previous charges for carrying a concealed weapon, burglary and stealing a car. Police said he lived at the Iris Building, which is across the street from the woman. The Iris Building offers 34 units to low-income and formerly homeless people, according to LA Housing. 

"We've been expecting something like this," neighbor Vic Pacheco said. "We really feel, in this neighborhood, we're under siege."

Pacheco, who lives next door, says the neighborhood's issues stem from the building and the homeless encampment under the nearby freeway. Although the encampment has been declared unlawful, it has not been dismantled. 

"The drugs have gotten worse," Dreyfus said. "The violence has gotten worse. There's fights. There's fires. You can see the underpass, it just blows your mind."

Dreyfus said the city told him months ago that they must post a sign before the encampment can be cleared.

"I got my own sign made in 24 hours," Dreyfus said. "I think I should just post it because they're not doing anything and it's insane."

Neighbors said Bangura frequented the nearby encampment. 

"He was over there yesterday, smoking crack," Dreyfus said. "Everyone saw him. He was dancing in the street."

The grotesque rampage left the neighborhood in shock and frustrated. They feel like something could have been done a long time ago to prevent this woman from ever being attacked.

"I'm furious now," Dreyfus said. "It's crazy that we tolerate this stuff."

The victim was taken to the hospital. Her friends said she had to get stitches, but she was able to return home on Friday.