In a harrowing ordeal, Celeta Johnson, a 35-year-old mother from New York, vividly recalls the brutal attack she endured last month in a convenience store in Rochester. The incident left her with serious injuries and an unsettling realization that first responders never came to her aid.
The terrifying encounter began when a stranger suddenly targeted Johnson’s 7-year-old son. “The argument started when he bum-rushed my child,” Johnson explained. What followed was a violent altercation that left Johnson with a broken nose and a fractured orbital bone. “He basically sucker punched me, but I did defend myself and fought him back,” she recounted, told WLBT3.
As the assault unfolded, other customers in the store quickly called 911, desperate for help. But despite their pleas, no first responders arrived on the scene. One witness, who wished to remain anonymous, described the agonizing wait. “Johnson and her son sat behind the counter waiting for an ambulance for nearly two hours. Nobody showed up, no ambulance, no police, and she had been bleeding from her nose and eyes,” they said.
Realizing that help wasn’t coming, Johnson made the difficult decision to take matters into her own hands. “Police never came, first responders never came. I had to take an Uber to the hospital,” she said, still in disbelief at the lack of response.
Adding to her distress, Johnson revealed that her attacker remains free. “I actually have seen him walking the streets. Like they still haven’t arrested him,” she said, expressing frustration over the ongoing investigation.
Rochester police have confirmed that no arrests have been made, though they assert that the investigation is still ongoing. As Johnson recovers from her physical injuries, the emotional scars from that day—and the failure of the system to protect her—continue to weigh heavily on her.