Stanton, CA — A rideshare driver in Orange County is being hailed as a hero after he intervened to stop a brutal attack on a woman. The incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday in a condo community on Custer Way in Stanton.
Turan Sanders, an Uber driver, had just dropped off a passenger when he noticed a naked man assaulting a 60-year-old woman near a dumpster. Acting quickly, Sanders fired a warning shot, but the attacker, identified as a 20-year-old resident of the area, continued his violent assault.
“This female was defenseless. He began to brutally beat her — kneeing her and slamming her head against the ground,” Sanders recounted. As the situation escalated, the attacker turned his aggression towards Sanders’ vehicle, hitting the glass with such force that Sanders feared it would break.
“I recognized he wasn’t going to stop. I took aim and I dropped him,” Sanders said, describing his actions as a “fight-or-flight” response. The bullet struck the attacker in the neck, and Sanders immediately called 911.
The attacker was transported to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition. Authorities are investigating the incident, but Sanders was released after questioning and has no regrets about his actions.
“He could have potentially killed that woman,” Sanders explained. “I just reacted. I believe in fight or flight, and I wasn’t about to take flight and let her go through what she was going through.”
The woman, who sustained minor injuries, was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization. Neighbors in the community expressed their gratitude for Sanders’ timely intervention.
“He was doing the right thing. Right place, right time to protect that woman,” said one neighbor.
While Uber has suspended Sanders pending the outcome of the investigation, many in the community view him as a hero who acted decisively to save a life.
For more information or to provide additional details about the incident, authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000.
Good Job Sir. You probably saved that poor woman’s life and likely your own as well. You got a bad man off the street. You did a great service to the community in which you live and work. Life is precious and it’s worth defending. I can teach people how and when to engage and stop a bad guy but I can’t teach them “willing” as in willing to shoot. It takes more than most people know to pull a trigger knowing you are about to either end someone’s life or cripple them for life. The other side of that… Read more »
D A press charges!?! They should give him a medal for saving that elderly woman!
thankfully the lady was not seriously hurt. sadly, turan’s aim could have been a little better thereby eliminating the threat forever.
Kudos! The essence of the 2nd amendment in modern society.
Turan Sanders is definitely a hero, here! I hope the DA and his employer can constrain themselves from trying to screw him over, for a change. If either do, hopefully a GoFundMe or similar account is started to help him meet expenses and obtain viable legal representation. I believe Uber has a dumb policy that their drivers not be armed. While the victim’s injuries were noted as “minor”, it would likely have been an entirely different story had Mr Sanders not intervened when he did. I have previously noted a number of stories I was aware of going back to… Read more »