ALABAMA (WHNT) — A man from north Alabama is fighting for his life in an Arizona hospital right now. His family says he was the victim of a brutal attack with a hatchet.
Tucson Police said the attack happened on April 5 around 10 a.m. at a bus stop near downtown Tucson.
In a statement sent to News 19, Tucson Police said, “The male suspect had approached the victim and his wife at the bus stop. The suspect initiated a confrontation with the couple during which time he produced a sharp-edged weapon and struck the male victim.”
Tucson Police say they arrested 25-year-old Daniel Michael on April 8. Michael is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Assault with Serious Injury.
The victim’s family has identified him as 32-year-old Jacob Couch, of Arab, Alabama.
“Just continue to pray, continue to pray, he needs all the prayers he can get right now,” said Couch’s younger brother, Luke Couch.
Luke spoke to News 19 from a home where several family members are staying temporarily in Arizona, so they can be close to the hospital where Jacob is being treated. He told News 19 that Jacob is not expected to recover from his injuries.
Tucson Police say the attack happened after Michael approached Jacob Couch and his wife, Kristen, at the bus stop. Police said Michael started a confrontation with the couple.
Luke says the couple were on a bus journey back to Arab. He said they were at that bus stop because they “had a little bit of time for their next one, got off the bus, decided they were going to see the city a little bit.”
“My brother was bent over gathering his belongings, because they just got off the bus, and a man came up behind him and swung a hatchet and hit him in the back side of his neck,” Luke said.
He explained that the blade hit directly “where an artery that brings blood to your brain and he suffered anoxic brain injury because of the loss of blood.”
Luke described the attack as “senseless.”
Jacob’s wife, Kristen, told News 19 that the attack was unimaginable.
“I think I’m still in a state of shock, you know,” Kristen Couch said. “We hadn’t even been in the spot for 20 minutes.”
She said the suspect, later identified by police as Michael, “just came up and started yelling”.
“I turned around because he was yelling very loudly, like I could tell he was really agitated,” Kristen said. “I told the man we were leaving, and Jake bent down to grab our bags and he [Michael] just snuck up behind him and hit him in the neck with the hatchet”.
She said they never would have thought they would be in danger being in a downtown area near the University of Arizona, and not too far from a police station.
“It was a sneak attack, we did not see anything like this coming,” she said.
Tucson Police say the suspect, Daniel Michael, fled the scene on a “public streetcar” right after the attack.
However, police say “through their investigation, detectives collected evidence and obtained images of the suspect, ultimately identifying him as 25-year-old Daniel Michael”.
A spokesperson for the Tucson Police Department told News 19 that officers located Michael at his residence on April 8. During a search of the home, police say they located “additional evidence.”
Kristen said she’s relieved that Michael was arrested within days of the brutal attack.
“I mean, honestly, I didn’t know if they would catch him,” she said. “We just hope that the guy behind this stays behind bars.”
Jacob’s brother, Luke, said they won’t stop until they get “justice for Jake”.
He said the only bright spot amid this tragedy is the outpouring of support the family has received from both the community in north Alabama and in Tucson.
“It has truly amazed me at the people that have no idea who we are or who our family is and they have went above and beyond to help us,” he said. “It really speaks out that there are some good people left in this world.”
He said people in Tucson have been so kind to let members of the family stay at their house for free to help with expenses. The family originally set up a GoFundMe to help purchase plane tickets, a rental car, and housing for their trip to Arizona.
They tell News 19 that the GoFundMe will be used for additional expenses incurred while dealing with the tragedy.
You can find the link to their official GoFundMe by clicking here. They told News 19 on Wednesday that that is the only account they have. They say they believe a fake GoFundMe has been created, and warn people not to donate to it.
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