Long Beach victim describes being stabbed by ex while in her hospital bed

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A local woman on Friday shared heart-wrenching words about being repeatedly stabbed by her ex-boyfriend in her hospital bed.

Traci Mattox said she was sharing her story because she wants others who may be going through domestic abuse to know the signs and, most importantly, know when to get out.

Mattox had been a patient at St. Mary's Hospital in Long Beach on health-related issues for about a week when she says on Tuesday, she woke up from anesthesia to a disturbing sight: her ex-boyfriend holding a knife and standing next to her. She said what happened next will haunt her the rest of her life.

"He took the knife and swung it and hit me in the back of the neck," she shared. "And so I felt the back of my neck and I looked down and I saw blood, and he just started going crazy. And the only thing I could do was try to fight back, so I started hitting back and my head went down, and when I went down is when I felt the stab wounds in the back of the head."

Mattox was stabbed 13 times in the head, ears, neck, arms and hands, but she managed to fight her ex-boyfriend off and run for help. The suspect, 30-year-old Lorenzo Moss Jr., was able to flee the hospital but was later arrested.

"You don't think it's going to happen to you by someone who was supposed have cared for you," she added.

Mattox said Moss had never assaulted her before but admits the signs were all there.

Mattox said the hospital asked her what they could have done differently. She said better security would have helped her. Eyewitness news reached out to St. Mary's Hospital but did not immediately hear back.

As for Moss, he faces multiple charges, including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He is due in court on April 10.