The United States government has a lot of problems on its plate right now. One of those is homelessness. The rise of homelessness not only harms those without shelters, but it could harm others due to their mental state. According to EconoFact, “Despite government efforts and a solid economy, homelessness in the United States surged again in 2024 to record levels.” This violence was highlighted when a California homeless man sprayed a dog with mace and then proceeded to attack the car of its owner. The event was shared by the boy’s father, who was left terrified by the situation.
The father details how his son took his dog to the park using his car. As soon as the two were out of the car, the homeless man approached them. He then attacked the dog with mace, which prompted the boy to get back to his car along with his dog. The man didn’t stop at this as he also chased the car and threw a rock at one of its windows, leaving it shattered. Once the police arrived, they proceeded to arrest the man. The father shared how this event affected his entire family as they now have to file a police report. He also mentioned that the dog was traumatized after the attack. It turns out that this isn’t the first time his son was attacked in the same area.
People Reacting to the Actions of the California Homeless Man
Several people tried to comfort the father, especially after what his family went through. “Im so sorry your son has had to deal with this. And of course your protective instincts kick in. Just terrible. No one should feel unsafe in their neighborhood. That’s a toxic feeling. Totally incompatible with what home ought to feel like. Hope you and your son recover well!” one person wrote. Since some people didn’t believe the story, others came forward with their own stories. One person shared:
“My BF was spit on by a homeless man downtown while walking from lunch with his coworkers. Landed on his face/hair. I’ve also been stalked on my way to work with death threats shouted at my back for 5 blocks. My only guess was the guy was high on heroine. I went to the police and they said ‘yeah that’s Sacramento.’”
Aside from the support, others wanted to defend their area against the accusation that it was not safe. “Yeah it is ridiculous to say it. The stuff you say happens everywhere in every city. Midtown is very safe,” one person wrote.
There was also someone who pointed out how the homeless man is part of a bigger issue: the violence of some homeless people. “It’s so sad to hear this. I’ve lived in the Sacramento area for 45 years so basically my whole life and it’s gotten so bad. I stopped going downtown because of the homelessness. Most are ok but I’ve had some become violent. Now I’m just in my bubble living just outside of Sacramento. I still work there so I’m blinded by how s**tty it has become. Sucks!” they added. No one should feel unsafe where they are living. I just hope that the family and the poor dog will be okay.
