"NCIS" actress Pauley Perrette was suddenly attacked by someone she called a "psychotic homeless man" while she was walking near her Hollywood home on Thursday.
Los Angeles Police told
ABC News they arrested a suspect about 5 p.m. at the scene of the attack on Perrette, who plays scientist Abby Sciuto on the hit show.
KNBC-TV identified the man as David Merck, 45, and said he was arrested on suspicion of felony battery.
The 46-year-old actress posted a Twitter message about the incident early Friday morning.
Perrette said the man, who called himself, William, suddenly grabbed her by the arm and punched her in the nose, while spewing profanity. When she attempted to calm the man, telling him he had a beautiful name, he hit her again.
"I went into shock ... collapsed on the sidewalk," Perrette added, according to
TMZ.
The actress said she was able to text a neighbor and a police officer friend for help.
"Perrette tweeted, 'I am shaken and traumatized. My house, my beloved Hollywood. My beloved homeless people that I spend my life protecting ... My life changed tonight,'"
She ended the message on Twitter with: "We need to not walk alone. I need to heal. I almost died tonight."
Perrette, a native of New Orleans with a master's degree in criminology, appeared in "Murder One," "The Drew Carey Show," "Jesse," "Frasier" and "Early Edition" before her stint on the long-running "NCIS," according to
TV.com.
Some expressed support for Perrette on social media.
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