Brother of man almost decapitated at Arizona bus cease by hatchet wielding suspect speaks out

A hatchet-wielding suspect almost decapitated 32-year-old Jacob Sofa at a Tuscon, Arizona, bus cease earlier this month whereas he was touring along with his spouse again house to their native Alabama. 

The alleged assailant – 25-year-old Daniel Michael – was ordered held on a $1 million money bond in Pima County on felony assault fees within the seemingly random crime.

He awaits one other court docket listening to on the finish of the month. 

Sofa, in the meantime, has been hospitalized on life help for the previous two weeks because the April 5 assault, and officers have stated he isn’t anticipated to outlive his accidents. 

He and his spouse, Kristen Sofa, had been in California mourning the lack of their stillborn son a yr in the past. The couple determined to journey cross-country again to their hometown of Arab, Alabama, when their lives had been upended in Tucson. 

The assault occurred in broad daylight at 10 a.m. about two miles from the College of Arizona campus and simply blocks away from Tucson police headquarters. 

“He’s acquired the largest coronary heart that I consider I’ve ever met,” Sofa’s youthful brother, Luke Sofa, instructed Fox Information Digital. “And I actually do imply that. He was only a caring individual. He liked his household. He was actually large about his household.” 

Authorities have launched few particulars in regards to the potential motive for the crime. Michael’s lawyer within the preliminary bond listening to claimed “self-defense” couldn’t be dominated out in asking the choose for a lesser bond. 

The sufferer’s brother, nonetheless, instructed Fox Information Digital that detectives stated they decided “there isn’t a proof to help any claims of self-defense.”

“And so they stated that he was going to be attempting to understand straws, grasp something. I imply, my brother was attacked from behind whereas he was bent over. That’s not self-defense,” Luke Sofa stated. 

“I need to be sure that this man by no means does this once more and no different household has to undergo what my household has went by. To see my brother mendacity in a hospital mattress and unable to maneuver, unable to do something, it hurts so dangerous to know that I wasn’t in a position to be there to guard him as a result of he would have performed it for me in a heartbeat,” the brother instructed Fox Information Digital. “We as a household need swift justice.”

“My brother is an effective individual and he didn’t deserve this. No person deserves to be attacked with a hatchet on the facet of their neck. It’s very heinous,” he added.

Luke Sofa additional relayed what he was instructed what had occurred, in accordance with investigators and eyewitnesses. 

“They had been on the best way house from Los Angeles. Their bus stopped in Tucson. That they had all the time needed to see the desert,” Luke Sofa stated of his brother and sister-in-law. “Someone instructed them to rise up, and my brother instructed him to thoughts his personal enterprise, you realize, they weren’t doing something, weren’t inflicting any hassle. After which Kristen might inform that the man was actually agitated, and so she instructed him they had been getting up, they usually had been going to depart.”

“My brother bent down to collect his issues as a result of they only acquired off the bus so that they had their suitcases and their belongings with them,” he instructed Fox Information Digital. “He bent down to collect his issues, and the person got here up behind him and swung a hatchet. And witnesses stated that he lifted the ax up over his head and swang it.” 

Luke Sofa stated his brother has began to open his eyes barely in current days however hasn’t proven a lot enchancment. Jacob can be the daddy to a 15-year-old daughter. 

His brother stated medical doctors assessed he has restricted mind perform after struggling heavy blood loss. 

“Medical doctors haven’t given us a lot hope,” Luke Sofa instructed Fox Information Digital. “Though we’re only a small household from a small city in Alabama, you realize, we do consider that God can transfer mountains and the facility of prayer works. So we please encourage folks simply to maintain praying for him as a result of he isn’t gone but and miracles have occurred earlier than.” 

Fox Information Digital reached out to Democratic Pima County Legal professional Laura Conover’s workplace for remark, however didn’t instantly hear again. 

Luke Sofa questioned why Michael wasn’t initially charged with tried homicide. He additionally had a message for prosecutors dealing with the case. 

“Please don’t let this slip by the cracks. We is not going to let this slip by the cracks as a household. Don’t let this man get out and do that once more,” he stated. “If anyone is on the fence about whether or not it’s moral or whatnot for ‘a watch for a watch’ or a harsher punishment, I encourage them to go and have a look at my brother mendacity up in a hospital mattress.” 

“This nation shouldn’t be as secure as we thought,” Luke Sofa continued. “Please don’t let these criminals assume that they’ll simply get away with this as a result of, from my understanding, this has grow to be a sample in Tucson. I’m not from this space, I don’t know for positive, however I can communicate on what has occurred to me and my household and it’s mindless. No father or mother ought to should bury their youngster. And my mom might have to do this at this second. And it’s not proper.” 

The household has arrange a GoFundMe to assist cowl the prices of staying close to the hospital in Tucson.

In a press release obtained by Fox Information Digital, the Tucson Police Division stated officers responded at roughly 10 a.m. April 5 to seek out “an unresponsive male with sharp-force trauma on the southeast nook of East Broadway Boulevard and South sixth Avenue.” 

“Bystanders tried to render assist to the sufferer, and officers took over life-saving efforts till the Tucson Fireplace Division arrived. TFD transported the sufferer to Banner College Medical Heart with life-threatening accidents. Further officers searched the world for the suspect, however he was not positioned,” in accordance with police.

Detectives from the Theft Assault Unit later responded to the scene and “discovered that the male suspect had approached the sufferer and his spouse on the bus cease,” police stated. “The suspect initiated a confrontation with the couple throughout which era he produced a sharp-edged weapon and struck the male sufferer. After the assault, the suspect walked away from the scene and boarded a public streetcar, leaving the world.” 

Police stated investigators collected proof and obtained pictures of the suspect, in the end figuring out him as Michael. Michael was arrested at his house in Tucson’s East Facet three days later. 

In a press release obtained by Fox Information Digital, the Tucson Police Division stated officers responded at roughly 10 a.m. April 5 to seek out “an unresponsive male with sharp-force trauma on the southeast nook of East Broadway Boulevard and South sixth Avenue.” 

“Bystanders tried to render assist to the sufferer, and officers took over life-saving efforts till the Tucson Fireplace Division arrived. TFD transported the sufferer to Banner College Medical Heart with life-threatening accidents. Further officers searched the world for the suspect, however he was not positioned,” in accordance with police.

Detectives from the Theft Assault Unit later responded to the scene and “discovered that the male suspect had approached the sufferer and his spouse on the bus cease,” police stated. “The suspect initiated a confrontation with the couple throughout which era he produced a sharp-edged weapon and struck the male sufferer. After the assault, the suspect walked away from the scene and boarded a public streetcar, leaving the world.” 

Police stated investigators collected proof and obtained pictures of the suspect, in the end figuring out him as Michael. Michael was arrested at his house in Tucson’s East Facet three days later.