What started as a short, impromptu trip to Las Vegas has turned into a long hospital stay for Lompoc resident Joseph Lopez.
Lopez's family says they learned from his girlfriend on June 20 that he was attacked in downtown Las Vegas.
“She just said that somebody attacked Joseph on the bus," explained Yolanda Rodriguez, Lopez's grandmother. "They were just sitting and then he fell to the ground, he couldn't walk, and then the ambulance came and took him, and Joseph thought he was going to die.”
The arrest report indicates the stabbing was one of five incidents on the same day involving the suspect, identified as Devinski Tunggadewa.
Lopez's family says he was stabbed more than 20 times, including in his neck, which caused a spinal cord injury.
“He is supposed to be progressing a little bit more, and he's not," said Carmen López, Joseph's mom.
Rodriguez says while doctors said her grandson may never walk again, the family has renewed hope after finding an acute rehabilitation center for spinal cord injuries in San Luis Obispo County.
“He will be back, you know, and whether it's with crutches, whether it's a walker… but he will be walking," Rodriguez said.
With Lopez spending the last 12 days in the hospital, the bills are adding up. Rodriguez says it's very expensive.
With the loss of income, rent, hospital bills, and the cost of transporting him to the new rehabilitation center, the family has started a GoFundMe.
Lopez’s girlfriend says he’s spending most nights alone but that they’re all hoping that changes soon.
“He's falling apart. He's alone and he's so distraught right now," Rodriguez said. "Talking to him, you can just hear it in his voice and I don't want him to give up.”
