Store's surveillance video shows San Francisco woman's attack, savage beating

SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco woman is recovering after a violent attack in downtown Monday night.

"I’m on the phone with my mom and this regular-looking guy walking his dog walks by and calls me the N-word," said Wendy Drew, standing outside a Starbucks near her home in the Inner Sunset District. 

She said she turned to question why the unidentified man had hurled a racial slur, and that touched off a wild fight near Drumm and Market streets around 9:30 p.m. Part of the melee was captured on a liquor store’s surveillance video, and subsequently posted to "The San Francisco Standard" website.

Drew, a South African who has lived in the city for 20 years, said her attacker knocked her 5’2" body to the ground and started throwing punches. The video shows him violently slamming his fist into her face as she lay on the floor.

"It was very fast like three, four, five punches. And then I grabbed him. And I was like, no you’re not getting away with doing this to me. And that’s when he pushes me to the ground, and I stood up and pushed him into the liquor store," she said.

Drew said she had an appointment at an urgent care center on Wednesday, and that she suffered two heavily bruised and darkened eyes, a broken nose, and a concussion.

She said her boyfriend and other men in Terminus Bar, around the corner from the liquor store, heard the commotion, ran out, and helped subdue the attacker.

"He saw a target. He said what he had to say because he knew that would have been a trigger," said Pam Drew, not holding back her seething anger over the incident. "This man does have a rap sheet of violence. So this to me is a person that is walking around looking for trouble."

San Francisco police officials said arriving officers arrested Irvin Alberto Rivera-Lara, thanks to the help of witnesses who wouldn’t let him escape.

"It’s very heroic of people. I know at times it can be kind of jarring to kind of step in. but it is very helpful because they prevented the suspect from leaving and officers were able to come on scene and detain him," said Pauline Henderson, a police spokeswoman.

The 31-year-old Rivera-Lara is now being held in the San Francisco jail on charges of assault and committing a hate crime, for calling Drew the "N-word."

"I’m walking around with my sister. I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel safe at all. I need to have someone next to me," said Drew.

San Francisco city leaders continue battling the perception their city is unsafe, due in part to the weekend attempted robbery and shooting of 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Officials have cited declining crime statistics, but incidents like Drew’s assault have some people fearful of being outside alone.

The district attorney’s office is reviewing the case to see what charges they’ll file.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU