Woman slashed at Ferndale WA ATM
FERNDALE, Whatcom County — A 24-year-old woman required 50 stitches to close cuts to her throat and jaw line after a man armed with a box cutter attacked her as she withdrew money from an ATM machine.
Samantha Shields said she tried to back away as the man began slashing at her neck.
"He wasn't just trying to take my money," she said. "I thought he was trying to kill me."
A crew working inside the Whatcom Educational Credit Union heard her screams Monday morning and chased off the attacker, who ran off without taking anything from her.
A 20-year-old man was arrested a short time later after Ferndale police used dogs to track a scent from the credit union.
The suspect was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for investigation of first-degree assault with sexual motivation, said Ferndale police Lt. Matt Huffman.
"Honestly, I can tell you that I will not use another ATM like that," Shields said. "I'll go into the bank. Spending five minutes writing a check doesn't seem so bad now."
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