Violent homeless man who attacked actress out on streets again

HOLLYWOOD, CA (FOX 11) - NCIS actress Pauley Perrette is fearing for her safety after the man who attacked and threatened to kill her is free and back in the neighborhood. And now Perrette's neighbors in Hollywood are sharing those concerns.

Actress Pauley Perrette of NCIS fame is of course known for being dramatic. But, she wasn't acting during a long conversation today when she told me how her life was ''forever changed'' after an attack by a homeless man, and she is ''afraid to go out.''

We were talking because we learned her attacker, a transient named David Merck, has apparently been released from a state psychiatric institution , where he was sent after her November 2015 attack .

It got worldwide attention. Merck's release, as far as we know, has not been reported by anyone but us. She says '' I'm afraid the next word i hear about this guy is that he's killed a female.'' What's also alarming for residents in the area of Hollywood around Franklin and the 101 Freeway is that there's technically nothing authorities can really do to protect themselves from this man, until and unless he commits another crime.

"A real Catch -22 '' one woman who's lived her for years told me. It is not a crime to be homeless. It of course is a crime to attack someone.

The LAPD is well aware that Merck is back out, and will respond to any calls of an alleged crime, but certainly doesn't have the manpower to keep an eye on the hundreds of homeless people in the area, any one of who could turn violent from mental illness or drug use or both. It's the new reality, the sad reality, the ongoing reality.

Welcome to Los Angeles, 2018.