Newark City Councilwoman said she was attacked at park; Fremont woman arrested

NEWARK, Calif. - A Fremont woman has been arrested and charged in connection with an assault on a Newark councilmember, who posted some of the saga, as well as her bruised face, on Facebook.

Attack in park 

What we know:

Councilmember Eve Marie Little posted a detailed message on Thursday outlining an attack that she said happened as she was speaking with constituents at Newark Community Center park on Oct. 25.  

Surveillance video reviewed by police indicates that Little was "attacked from behind seemingly unprovoked," according to a police declaration submitted to the court. 

"I feel betrayed by people and feel that this wasn’t fair, that I did nothing wrong to deserve this," Little wrote. "Just a total wave of sadness and despair. I know things heal with time, but right now I just want to curl up into a ball and cry."

Little then described to her what happened two weeks ago.

"I was viciously attacked by a complete stranger while I was talking to fellow citizens in one of our local parks about the upcoming park updates as well as jotting down their suggestions," Little wrote. "The individual jumped me from behind while I was chatting with the group, causing me to crash to the ground. Then she proceeded to punch my face over and over again while I did everything I could to get her off." 

Little said the event was one of the most traumatic of her life and that the viciousness of the assault has continued to cause her physical and mental pain. She said she was taken to the hospital and treated for multiple injuries and has since had multiple appointments at the ER, urgent care and a concussion clinic. 

"People don’t realize the dark side of campaigning; the fear and scariness of who is behind the door when canvassing the neighborhoods, the pending thoughts of someone is going to go off because your policy opinions don’t line up with theirs, and going out in public and never knowing if you are in danger," she wrote. 

Little is running to retain her seat on the Newark City Council. As of Friday, she was leading against her opponent. 

She has received more than 130 comments on Facebook, most of them full of support and empathy for what happened to her. 

Arrest made, no motive given

What we don't know:

The Newark Police Department identified the suspect as Rosario Lopez, 31, of Fremont, who they allege physically attacked Little and fled the scene in a white four-door sedan. She was booked on a charge of aggravated battery. 

Little said the suspect's plates were recorded by a witness who saw what was happening from the parking lot and proceeded to follow the getaway car—which she said was driving at speeds up to 80 mph—to get a description of it.  

Police arrested Lopez on Oct. 29.

And the Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged her with one felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury, charging documents show. 

Police have not provided a motive for the alleged attack, and as of Thursday, Lopez was not in custody.

Efforts to contact Lopez on Friday were not immediately successful. 

She is being represented by the public defender's office, which didn't immediately return comment.

Lopez is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19. 

Dangers of being public figure

Local perspective:

The councilmember wrote about the inherent dangers of being a public figure, which can sometimes make people a target. 

Little was first elected in 2024. 

According to the city's website, Little was born in a small town in West Texas and lived in Guadalajara, Mexico with her mother’s side of the family.

She attended Texas A&M University pursuing a degree in International Studies and double minors in cultural anthropology and Spanish. 

Upon graduating, she moved to Seoul, South Korea, where she taught at Kookmin University, and later to Khao-Lak, Thailand, where she worked in the tourism industry.

Some of her past jobs have included being event director at NASA Johnson Space Center, director of Consular Affairs at the Consulate of Ghana, and president of the Texas Dragon Boat Association, according to her online biography.