Vacaville inmates and correctional officer credited with saving woman who was stabbed on walking trail

VACAVILLE, Calif. - An inmate cleaning crew and a correctional officer are being credited with saving the life of woman who had just been stabbed on a walking trail in Vacaville. 

The incident happened shortly before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 4 on the Alamo Creek bike trail near Brookdale Court. 

Cpl. Nichole King said the 33-year-old woman was walking her dog on the trail when she was randomly attacked by an 18-year-old man. 

The man began stabbing the woman. An officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or CDCR, and an inmate crew cleaning up debris on the trail witnessed the incident and rushed to her aid.

"It’s very unsettling because this was a completely unprovoked attack," King said. "I was told it was a horrific scene." King said the CDCR officer put the suspect in handcuffs until police arrived. A spokesperson for the CDCR said the officer and inmates also tended to the woman’s wounds until first responders arrived.

Part of a statement from the CDCR reads: "Thanks to the heroism displayed by the CDCR officer and the crew, a life was saved. The department is offering mental health services to those involved. We are very proud of the courage displayed and send our thoughts and support to the victim.

"The woman has been released from the ICU. She remains hospitalized. King would not release details about her injuries, but said her appearance was physically altered.

The suspect has been identified as 18-year-old Damarco Ross Parker of Vacaville. He is being held at the Solano County Jail on charges of mayhem and attempted homicide.

"We have to tip our hats to the CDCR officer and inmate crew," King said. "If they had not intervened this would have been a totally different case."

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The inmates are members of a California Medical Facility incarcerated community. 

People on the trail were shocked to hear about the incident.

"The irony of the whole thing is… a lot of people look at these guys that commit crimes and they’re always looked at in a bad light," Marcus Gray, a resident from Fresno, said. "Sometimes we need to look at them as they're paying their price, doing what they need to do and in this case, they helped save a life."