Stopping a Bully Cost Her an Eye. Now, Police Have Made an Arrest

Suspect was allegedly bullying boy with special needs when victim intervened
By Mike L. Ford,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 6, 2022 5:43 PM CST
Police Announce Arrest 2 Weeks After Bully Knocked Out Teen's Eye
Screenshot from a news report shows 19-year-old Bianca Palomera, who lost an eye defending someone with special needs.   (ABC7 via YouTube screengrab)

Two weeks ago, 19-year-old Bianca Palomera was working her job as an assistant manager at a Habit Burger Grill in Antioch, California, when someone started bullying another teen with an intellectual disability, according to ABC7. Palomera intervened, and it cost her an eye. On Tuesday, Antioch police announced the arrest of 20-year-old Isaac White-Carter after identifying him and tracking him down with help from the US Marshal’s Service. Palomera spoke to ABC7 from her hospital bed shortly after the attack and explained that her manager had asked her to step in and ask the bully to leave. When she did, White-Carter allegedly punched her multiple times in the face before fleeing with his friends.

Palomera expressed relief upon learning about the arrest. She also said she has no regrets. "I would do it over again, but if I could go back, I just wish other people would have [helped]," she told one reporter. Doctors performed emergency surgery but were unable to save her eye, per KTVU. Currently, she has a temporary eye, but she will soon receive a prosthetic. Supporters at GoFundMe have raised over $175,000 on her behalf to help cover expenses and get her life back on track. "It completely derailed my life," she told KTVU. "There are a lot of struggles, but I have to move around them." She said she plans to go back to school and prepare for a medical career.

Per KRON4, police say White-Carter admitted to his involvement in the incident during interrogation. He is charged with felony mayhem and aggravated assault causing bodily injury, and he’s being held on a $225,000 bail in the Martinez Detention Facility. He might also face hate crime charges for hurling racist and misogynistic terms against Palomera during the attack. (More bully stories.)

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