Harrowing footage shows a woman screaming “He’s trying to kill me. Help!” as she runs down a California street in an attempt to escape from a knife-wielding man who had broken into her home.
Marylou Villalobos Palos, 42, wound up being stabbed 20 times by the psycho — but successfully managed to lead him away from her two teenage daughters Tuesday in the town of Lake Forest, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.
The horrifying incident began when James Carlos Melendrez, who was unknown to the family, broke into their home and grabbed a knife.
The mom fled, but the 25-year-old eventually caught up to her and allegedly stabbed her repeatedly.
During the stabbing, people in a BMW stopped to help Palos — and her attacker allegedly turned on them and stole their ride.
He drove off, eventually jumping a curb and slamming into a woman in her 50s walking on the sidewalk, the sheriff’s department said.
Melendrez then allegedly tried to break into a home and carjack several more people.
As he was trying to drag a mother and daughter out of their car, a passing bicyclists pepper-sprayed him.
Despite her stab wounds, Palos survived and is being treated at a local hospita. The woman who was hit by the BMW was also hospitalized and several others who encountered Melendrez suffered minor wounds.
Authorities are looking into whether he was on drugs or has a mental illness.
nypost.com
