A routine DoorDash stop turned into a nightmare for a North Carolina mother of three, who is now recovering in the hospital after authorities say she was ambushed by a man wielding a baseball bat during what should have been a simple food delivery.
Christen Phillips is speaking out from her hospital bed about the terrifying ordeal, sharing that the attack left her with serious injuries that are going to take time to heal.
“I had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds,” Phillips said.
The 44-year-old suspect, Stanley Shockley, is now behind bars, according to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.
The violence unfolded in broad daylight on Aug. 1 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It all started, deputies say, when Phillips honked her horn at an intersection while waiting for a driver in front of her to move.
That driver — allegedly Shockley — reportedly moved his car but then began following her.
Phillips continued to her delivery drop-off point and completed the order. But when she tried to walk back to her vehicle, that’s when authorities say Shockley jumped out and attacked her with the bat before fleeing the scene.
“He came around to my door with a small wooden bat or baton and beat me in the head and face with it,” Phillips wrote on social media.
She says she has no memory of the attack itself.
“I don’t remember it at all. I woke up an unverified amount of time later,” she said.
Somehow, Phillips was able to drive herself to a nearby hospital, where doctors discovered the extent of her injuries.
“I had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds and blood and cerebral fluid draining from my left ear for hours. My cheek bone on my left side is also fractured,” she said.
Deputies arrested Shockley on Monday in connection with the case. Court records show he is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 and inflicting serious injury.
Sheriff Chris Thomas acknowledged the public’s concerns about the case while thanking the community for stepping up.
“We understand the public does not see what goes into every investigation and a case like this can make citizens uneasy. We appreciate the number of tips and leads the public provided us,” Thomas said. “Our detectives follow every lead, carefully work through the evidence, and continue to pursue answers even when the investigation presents challenges.
Their hard work ultimately led them to identify a suspect and make an arrest.”
DoorDash also released a statement, saying: “What this Dasher went through is horrific, and we’re relieved she’s safe and on the road to recovery. We’re grateful to law enforcement for making an arrest and will continue to assist their investigation in any way we can.”
As Phillips faces a long road to recovery, one big question remains: how could a simple honk of the horn escalate into such a violent attack?
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