Man Uses Ax to Hack Up Tent With Woman Inside in Pasadena; Woman Escapes Injury

Police were looking for a man who they say used an ax and a knife to slash a tent to pieces while a terrified woman was inside in Pasadena on Monday morning.

The crime took place about 5:30 a.m. at a homeless encampment beneath the 134 Freeway, near Walnut Street and St. John Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.

The suspect and victim were living together in a tent, he said. The woman accused the man of infidelity, and he became enraged.

The man retrieved a small ax and started “cutting through the tent with her inside,” according to the lieutenant.

He hacked the tent a dozen or so times, then pulled a knife and continued shredding it.

The terrified woman inside the tent was not struck by the blades and escaped injury, Hettema said. She was described as 50 years old.

The alleged attacker, described as 45 years old, had fled before officers arrived and remained at large Tuesday, police said. Investigators did not release his identity as they continued seeking him.

Anyone with information can reach the Pasadena Police Department at 626-744-4241. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.