Canada Rinaldi, Oklahoma bride to be attacked during Dallas bachelorette trip getaway with her bridesmaids in a random unprovoked assault as she’s left with mounting medical bills as the attacker continues to remain at large with her wedding less than 4 weeks away.
An Oklahoma bride-to-be was violently assaulted and hospitalized in a ‘random’ attack while on her dream bachelorette trip in Texas — four weeks before her wedding day.
Canada Rinaldi, 27, had just finished up a ‘memorable night out’ in Dallas on Sunday as she and her six bridesmaids left a club at around 2 a.m. and were waiting for their Uber, WFAA reported.
However, as their ride approached, a man came up from behind and sucker-punched the bride to be in the face.
Canada Rinaldi, Oklahoma bride to be sucker-punched in random attack
Rinaldi’s attacker struck her so hard that it knocked her out and caused her to fall face down onto the concrete.
‘It’s just shocking. It’s hard to believe,’ Rinaldi told the outlet. ‘I feel like a lot of my experiences were taken away from me.’
The assault was captured on dash camera video from an Uber driver and shows the attacker randomly striking Rinaldi.
Video also shows the moment one of her bridesmaids tried to push the man away before she too was also punched.
The un-identified attacker then fled the scene, leaving Rinaldi lying unconscious in the street.
‘It’s just so traumatic,’ Kelly Peralta, the bridesmaid who was also struck, told WFAA.
The bride-to-be said she regained consciousness while in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Oklahoma bride to be left with over $10K medical bills 4 weeks before wedding day
The un-provoked attack left Rinaldi with a broken nose along with knocking out three of her teeth. She also suffered a concussion and a black eye, and needed eight stitches on her face.
Another of her bridesmaids who witnessed the attack, Kirsten McDowell, said the incident ruined a trip that was supposed to be one of the most joyous moments of her friend’s life.
‘It’s really heartbreaking seeing her so upset, so injured. It was supposed to be one of the best trips of her life, celebrating her, for it to just go awry so fast,’ McDowell told NBCDFW.
Rinaldi was four weeks out from her wedding when she was attacked and is now not only dealing with recovering from her injuries but also dealing with the mounting medical bills from her ambulance ride, hospital stay, and dental repairs.
‘I feel like I’m not excited to plan my wedding anymore,’ Rinaldi told WFAA.
Her friends have set up a fundraiser to help Rinaldi with the unexpected medical bills of around $10,000.
‘She is now trying to heal—not only physically, but emotionally and financially—when she should be counting down the days to her wedding,’ McDowell wrote on the page.
Suspect remains at large, no arrest made
The bride-to-be said the incident affected not only her but also her sisters — who witnessed her get hit and knocked unconscious.
‘I know they’re struggling pretty bad, too,’ Rinaldi said.
Rinaldi advises one to be mindful of their surroundings and to try to have company as a safety precaution.
‘I think everyone should always be aware of their surroundings and make sure to have people with you who can at least try to protect you. The world is a scary place.’
The Dallas Police Department said they are investigating the attack but have not yet made any arrests or identified the suspect.
‘I think it’s not fair that it happened to me, but if anything, I hope he gets caught so it doesn’t happen to anybody else,’ she said.
No known motive in the attack was immediately known.
