California man arrested after allegedly punching fast-food worker, causing her to lose eye
Bianca Palomera, the 19-year-old victim, was defending a special needs boy at Habit Burger in Antioch, California
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A California man has been arrested in the brutal attack on a fast-food worker that caused her to lose an eye while she defended a boy with special needs, officials said on Monday.
Isaac White-Carter, 20, of San Francisco, was arrested in nearby Hayward for last month’s attack at a Habit Burger in Antioch, the Antioch Police Department said.
The victim, later identified as 19-year-old Bianca Palomera, was punched in the face multiple times and ultimately lost her right eye due to the incident, police said. Palomera was defending a boy with an intellectual disability who was allegedly being bullied by the suspect.
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"It completely derailed my life. There are a lot of struggles, but I have to move around them," she told KTVU following White-Carter's arrest.
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White-Carter could face felony charges including mayhem and aggravated assault, according to police.
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Palomera underwent emergency surgeries but doctors were unable to save her eye. She has since been given a prosthetic eye, officials and her family said.
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Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe posted a video message on Facebook saying he would call a special meeting on Dec. 13 to bestow the key to the city to Palomera for her "heroic efforts" in defending the boy.
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"Bianca was doing nothing more than standing up for a kid who had special needs," the mayor said. "In my book, Bianca is a hero."
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Despite the challenges Palomera now faces, she told the station that she now plans on going to school to pursue a medical career.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.