Jaime King's Car Attacker Charged with Cruelty to a Child After Her Son Was Struck By Glass
The man who allegedly attacked Jaime King‘s car while her 4-year-old son was inside has been charged with one felony count of vandalism and one misdemeanor count of cruelty to a child by endangering health and battery, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
On Wednesday afternoon, King’s eldest son James Knight was struck by glass after a man, identified as Paul Francis Floyd, allegedly attacked the parked car the boy was sitting in with a female friend of the actress in Beverly Hills.
The 47-year-old transient allegedly jumped onto the vehicle, according to a release from the Beverly Hills Police Department.
King — who also shares son Leo Thames, 32 months, with husband Kyle Newman — was not in the vehicle at the time of the attack.
“ was secured in a child car seat positioned in the back seat of the vehicle as the suspect jumped on the rear windshield causing glass to shatter and strike the child,” the release read. “In an effort to protect the child, the female driver exited the vehicle and confronted the suspect at which time he threw a can at her, striking her arm.”
In a statement released Thursday on Instagram, King said that she and her son were both “very shaken up” by the incident.
“Thank you so much to everyone for the outpouring of love we have received since yesterday’s attack. James Knight is very shaken up, as am I. The attack was incredibly violent, and my 4-year-old son was obviously the target of the individual’s brutal attack, which is terrifying,” King began.
She continued by thanking police officers “and the bystanders who stepped to help.”
“I want to believe that we live in a world where human integrity comes before documenting an attack,” King continued. “I’m saddened that the paparazzi chose to terrorize my son and I by shoving cameras in our face during the attack, whilst he was shaking and crying instead of trying to help. My brave friend Judit Balogh used her self-defense training to try and keep the individual from harming James Knight while glass was shattering on him, as the perpetrator jumped on the roof until it collapsed and kicked in windows trying to get to him. He threw a bottle at her, hitting and assaulting her, but he couldn’t catch her. Without her bravery and selflessness, I cannot imagine the outcome.”
King added: “I encourage all women and men to arm themselves with the skill of self-defense training, I promise you will never know when you might need to use it.”
Her message included a plea to lawmakers to provide more resources dedicated to helping those suffering from “mental health, drug addiction, and homelessness.”
“We as a society can do better than to let those in need endanger themselves and those around them without the help they require,” she wrote. “I believe strongly in our Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and our Beverly Hills Mayor Julian A. Gold and know they will not only continue to work to change the status quo but also dedicate themselves to these issues that permeate California.”
“I will do all I can so that no parent, child, person will have to be victimized as we have and that those in need receive the resources necessary,” she concluded the message.
If convicted as charged, Floyd faces a possible maximum sentence of five years in jail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors are requesting bail be set at $40,000.