Samaritan Stabbed at Starbucks While Shielding Woman from Crazed Man with Machete
Picture this: you’re out for coffee. You take a friend with you. It’s a seemingly normal day at your local Starbucks.
Maybe you’re chatting it up with your cohort. Perhaps you’re deciding what drink to try, or you’re preparing to order “the usual.”
Your thoughts are on lattes, cold brews, and cream or no cream. More than likely, you are not thinking of risking your life in a deadly situation.
But bad things can occur anywhere at any time. We’ve all been asked: “What would you do?” Easy to answer, but hard to comprehend when faced with a horrific scenario.
Twenty-seven-year-old Blaine Hodge was in one such situation. While out with his friend at his friendly Bakersfield, California, Starbucks on Sept. 9, Hodge was faced with the unthinkable.
According to Effingham Daily News, a man that has since been identified as 31-year-old Robert Rivas entered the coffee chain with what was reportedly a machete or jagged knife.
KGET 17 reported that Rivas entered the Starbucks with the intent of attacking and maybe even killing a woman, an ex-girlfriend of the suspect.
The woman was stabbed and Hodge stepped in. Though he didn’t know the woman, he said he “couldn’t just let her die.” Hodge suffered multiple injuries from the stabbing.
“That’s just Blaine,” Hodge’s girlfriend, Tori Tony, shared. Tony was not shocked at all by her boyfriend’s actions.
Blaine and the other victim were taken to the hospital following the incident. ABC 23 reported that as of the evening of Sept. 9, Hodge was doing well.
Hodge’s friend Evan Ross posted on his Facebook page with an update letting everyone know how the good Samaritan was doing.
“He is currently in quite a bit of pain,” Ross wrote. “(He) has 200ish stitches, and is smiling trying to make sure nobody is worried.”
Ross also shared a link to the GoFundMe campaign that’s been set up for Hodge. As of Tuesday morning, he is nearly halfway to reaching his $9,000 fundraising goal.
Interestingly enough — or as fate would have it — ABC 23 shared that Hodge is a musician who will soon be releasing an album entitled “The Mind of a Hero.”
Following this story, that’s an album I’ll need to listen to. This man definitely has heroism on the brain. According to those close to him, Hodge would save another person in a similar situation in a heartbeat.
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