American Man Brutally Attacks Indian Nurse: Facial Bones Fractured, Risk of Losing Eyesight

Florida, 4 March – (www.deccanlive.com): A 66-year-old Indian nurse, Leelamma, was badly beaten by a 33-year-old man in Florida. Due to the attack, all the bones in her face were fractured, and there is a risk that she may lose her eyesight. She was airlifted to a trauma center and is currently in intensive care.

When the police arrived to arrest the attacker, he said, “Indians are bad. I just badly beat up an Indian doctor.”

The incident happened on February 19, and the court hearing took place on February 27. During the hearing, a police officer presented the accused’s statement in court. The court found him guilty of hate crime and second-degree murder charges.

Attacker Was Admitted to Psychiatric Ward

The attacker has been identified as Stephen Scantlebury, who was a patient in the psychiatric ward of Palms West Side Hospital in Florida. Leelamma Lal, the victim, is a nurse at the same hospital. The attacker was arrested shortly after the assault.

According to the police, the attacker tried to escape after the assault. When he was caught, he was walking on the road without a shirt and shoes, with EKG wires still attached to his body. The police forced him to surrender at gunpoint.

Incident Captured on Hospital CCTV

Eyewitnesses said that the attacker was on his bed in a third-floor room. When Leelamma came for his checkup, he suddenly jumped off the bed and attacked her.

One person in the room ran outside to call for help, while another person entered and saw Scantlebury on top of Leelamma, repeatedly punching her.

Officials said the attack lasted one to two minutes and was recorded on the hospital’s CCTV cameras.

Victim’s Daughter: “She Had Brain Bleeding”

The victim’s daughter, Cindy Joseph, described the severity of her mother’s injuries. She said her mother suffered heavy brain bleeding, and all the bones on the right side of her face were broken. Leelamma was unconscious, and doctors had to insert a tube into her lungs to help her breathe. She also had deep facial injuries and swollen eyes. Cindy added, “I couldn’t even recognize her.”

Attacker’s Wife: “Stephen Has Mental Illness”

During the court hearing, the attacker’s wife, Megan Scantlebury, claimed that her husband was already in a state of fear and confusion days before the attack. She said he believed someone was watching him and even accused his wife and neighbors of being involved.

Lawyer Claims Mental Illness, Not Hate Crime

Scantlebury’s lawyer argued that the attack was not due to racial discrimination but mental instability. He mentioned conditions like schizophrenia and acute psychosis, claiming that the accused was not in a stable mental state when he attacked the Indian nurse.