Hiker airlifted out of Griffith Park after assault

A man was airlifted out of Griffith Park on Monday after he was assaulted and critically injured while hiking on a trail, authorities said.

A helicopter lifted the man out of an area near the 2200 block of Fern Dell Drive and took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, LAFD spokeswoman Katherine Main said. The victim was in stable condition Monday night.

About 2:30 p.m., two hikers found the man suffering from head trauma along a hiking trail, LAPD Officer Drake Madison said.

A description of the suspect was not immediately available, Madison said. The department sent officers to Griffith Park following the attack.

The attack was being investigated as an assault with a deadly weapon, LAPD Officer Jane Kim said. She declined to specify what type of weapon investigators believe was used in the attack.

The hikers who called 911 told KTLA that the victim’s face was bloody. Jared Cooper of the Los Angeles Fire Department told the news station the man was in his 30s and had life-threatening injuries.

In May, two women reported being attacked in separate incidents at the popular hiking destination. One woman was hospitalized in an attempted robbery that turned into a physical altercation. Another woman, who fought off an attempted sexual assault, was not injured.

Anyone with details about the assault Monday is urged to call 911 or LAPD’s Northeast Division at (323) 344-5701.

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