MEDFORD, Ore. — One week after surviving a traumatic attack, Mandy Valencia is thankful for the support of her friends. The Medford woman was brutally attacked last Thursday. Police say her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Conner, broke into her home and tried to kill her.
Valencia told police Conner used a stun gun on her, tried to strangle her… and even hit her with a rubber mallet with a hook attached.
“I’m different now. Not like how I was before…,” said Valencia.
She says she narrowly escaped after the 15 minute struggle. She suffered a concussion and nearly lost her right ear, but Valencia says she’s a fighter.
“It’s not my time to go…I’m not done here yet,” she said.
A friend set up a Gofundme page to support Valencia and the son she shares with Conner.
It’s been shared over 900 times on Facebook and already raised over $5,000. At first, Valencia says she was reluctant to get help, but says she’s still paying off medical bills… as she recovers from breast cancer.
“This happening after that,” she said. “I was really depending financially on my son’s father, so now it’s like wow, it really helps a lot.”
That’s what brought her here to a local food truck, Daddy Ramen.
Owner Phoenix Sigalove is contributing a percent of this and next week’s proceeds to Valencia. The two are old friends, but Valencia had no idea Sigalove owned the food truck.
“To not only hear a horrific story like that, but to [have that] happen to somebody that you know and love…,” said Sigalove.
Valencia has no idea what will happen with her ex’s court case. She says she’s just taking things one step at at time.
“I’m not going to worry about something that I don’t know the outcome.”
She’s just thankful for all the support she’s received.
“Just cause I’m here alive to do it and I didn’t think I would be,” Valencia said.
For more information on how you can help Mandy and other survivors of domestic violence, visit “Keeping Ashland Women Safe” at this link.
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