Activist Beaten While Feeding Homeless in Los Angeles

Eva Woods suffered broken jaw and lost six teeth after attack by homeless woman with metal pipe

Mar. 12, 2026 at 1:00pm

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An activist who has been feeding the homeless in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park for six years was severely beaten by a homeless woman with a metal pipe. Eva Woods suffered a broken jaw and lost six teeth in the attack that occurred during a regular meal service she was providing to the unhoused residents of the area.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the challenges and risks that volunteers and activists face when trying to help the homeless population, especially in areas with high levels of poverty and homelessness. It also raises questions about the need for greater support and resources for both the homeless and those trying to assist them.

The details

According to a GoFundMe set up by Woods' friend, a homeless woman approached Woods from behind and bashed her in the face with a metal pipe. The attack left Woods with a broken jaw that required surgery, and she lost six teeth. Woods has been running the MacArthur Project, a mutual aid collective that provides over 700 meals per week to the unhoused and housing insecure residents of MacArthur Park.

  • The attack occurred on February 22, 2026 during one of the regular meal services Woods provides.
  • Woods underwent surgery on her upper and lower jaw the following day.

The players

Eva Woods

An activist who has been feeding the homeless in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park for six years as part of the MacArthur Project mutual aid collective.

Catherine Schetina

A friend of Eva Woods who organized a GoFundMe campaign to support Woods after the attack.

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What they’re saying

“Hi, my name is Catherine Schetina, and I'm organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Eva Woods. I have known Eva for more than a decade. At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Eva immediately realized that services for the unhoused residents of Los Angeles would suffer as resources were cut and organizations shuttered.”

— Catherine Schetina, Fundraiser Organizer (GoFundMe)

“She took matters into her own hands. We are now in our sixth year of the MacArthur Project – a mutual aid collective run entirely by volunteers. We provide more than 700 meals each week to the unhoused and housing insecure residents of MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, and over the past six years we've built incredibly powerful relationships within our communities.”

— Catherine Schetina, Fundraiser Organizer (GoFundMe)

What’s next

The judge will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the homeless woman who attacked Eva Woods to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This attack highlights the dangers that volunteers and activists face when trying to help the homeless, and the urgent need for greater support and resources to address homelessness in Los Angeles and other cities with high rates of poverty and housing insecurity.