Man Who Allegedly Beat Woman With Mace Posed With Similar Weapon On Facebook

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A woman who was out walking her dog is recovering after a brutal attack with a Medieval-style weapon.

The attack happened on Monday along Garfield Avenue near Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento County.

The woman was walking her dog down Garfield Avenue when deputies say 31-year-old Travis Lanning leaped out from behind her with a mace in hand.

"He approached her by saying, 'I'm going to kill you,'" said sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Bowman.

Investigators say Lanning first went for the woman's dog, then turned his attack to the 50-year-old woman.

"It was a ball like with spikes, a metal shiny ball with spikes. It was like some medieval weapon," a neighbor who witnesses the attack told CBS 13.

Deputies were quick to respond to the scene, as the attack happened near a sheriff's substation. A deputy driving there say the victim in the street and was able to place Lanning under arrest.

"I heard all this yelling and screaming, and next thing you know I hear sirens and I'm looking out my window and next thing you know there's 12 officers out here," said neighbor Lisa French. "He wouldn't get up when they tried to pick him up. He wouldn't get up so they ended up like carrying him into the police car."

Even deputies had a hard time believing the weapon of choice in the attack.

"It's something that's commercially sold, manufactured and can be used in a brutal attack, but usually isn't," said sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Bowman.

A search of the suspect's Facebook account shows him posing with the Medieval weapon, listing himself as a former student at American River College.

Neighbors were left thinking of the victim, who went from a morning walk with her dog to a battle for her life.

"I hope she's OK and I hope the rest of us are not too traumatized by this," a resident told CBS 13.

Deputies are investigating possible motives, including whether Lanning was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The victim is expected to survive the attack.