Koreatown intruder throws boiling hot water at resident

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nicole Lucas and boyfriend Davis Sarvey were returning home from a night out celebrating a birthday last week when they were met by a stranger inside their Koreatown apartment.

"She goes to open the door and boom. He just splashes boiling hot water all over her," Sarvey said.

Lucas suffered second- and third-degree burns on her face, neck and chest. When Davis tried to go back in, the man had grabbed one of their kitchen knives.

"He swung the knife at me from two or three feet away," Sarvey said.

The attacker was arrested a short time later, but he left behind a lot of damage, defecating on the floor and soiling the place.

"He ransacked our whole house, destroyed a bunch of plants," Sarvey said.

Luckily, the couple's beloved dogs were OK, but he also caused a lot of damage that can't be seen.

"Mentally, I know it's going to be a long journey," Lucas said.

It has affected them so much that the couple has left Los Angeles and moved back to the San Diego area. The couple has set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for medical and legal bills, as well as money to help move their lives south.

The suspect, identified as Gonzalo Martinez, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and is also facing burglary charges. His bail was set at $130,000. It was unclear if he was homeless, or how he got inside the apartment.