Good Samaritan rescues street vendor who was being attacked in Lennox

LOS ANGELES - A good Samaritan came to the aid of a flower vendor who was being attacked. 

Last month, Juan Diaz was selling flowers near Hawthorne Blvd. and the 105 Freeway in Lennox when he was attacked and robbed.

Gerardo Plascencia came to his rescue and fought off his attacker. 

"It was an impulse. Truthfully, I don't know how I did it. I saw no one was doing anything, but later when I reflected, I thought ‘thank God the man wasn’t armed,'" Plascencia told FOX 11. 

Diaz is grateful Plascencia happened to be in the area and intervened.

Diaz was brutally attacked and stabbed last year by another man while selling flowers at this usual spot in Hawthorne. That time, no one intervened. 

"I thank the Cuban man a lot," Diaz said. 

Plascencia arrived in Los Angeles from Cuba in July and since then he's also been robbed. He lives in a tent and works odd jobs.

Since the attack, Diaz has been looking for Plascencia, and FOX 11's Cristy Fajardo managed to arrange for them to speak over the phone. Diaz repeatedly thanked Plascencia and asked to return the favor. 

Plascencia responded by saying he did it from the heart. 

Diaz is back on the street working, but this time he is accompanied by his daughter. He said he's been working since he was 6-years-old, and he can't just sit at home and do nothing. 

A GoFundMe account was created to help cover medical expenses.