A Fremont woman has been arrested and charged in connection with an assault on Newark Councilmember Eve Marie Little, who says she was attacked from behind while speaking with constituents at Newark Community Center park on Oct. 25.

Little recounted the encounter in an interview with KTVU on Friday and in a detailed Facebook post on Thursday. According to a police declaration submitted to the court, surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows Little was "attacked from behind seemingly unprovoked."

Little said she had approached people gathered at the park, including a group of men playing basketball and two women seated on a bench, and introduced herself as a city council member. A short time later, she said, one of the women struck her. "I just feel this power come up behind me and whack my shoulder blades and also take my knees out at the same time, and I fell to the ground," Little said, adding that the woman repeatedly punched her in the face. "The entire time she was hitting my face, she never said one word," she recounted.

Little said she was taken to a hospital and treated for multiple injuries, and has since had several appointments at the emergency room, urgent care and a concussion clinic. "They think there might be a hairline fracture on my skull," she said, explaining that doctors are also concerned about a pre-existing brain tumor on the right side of her head and have scheduled an MRI. She described the assault as one of the most traumatic events of her life and said its viciousness continues to cause her physical and mental pain.

A bystander heard Little cry out and followed the suspect's vehicle as it left the scene at speeds of up to 80 mph, then gave police a detailed description. "Our investigators were able to dig through our ALPR system and that led to the identification of the suspect," said Newark police Lt. Yama Homayoun, calling the investigation a testament to the license plate reader system's capabilities. "I wish that I could thank him for what he did because it leaves me with a sliver of hope that people care," Little said of the bystander.

Police identified the suspect as Rosario Lopez, 31, of Fremont, alleging she attacked Little and fled in a white four-door sedan. Lopez was arrested on Oct. 29, booked on a charge of aggravated battery and later released on bail. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has charged her with one felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury, charging documents show. Police have not offered a motive, and Lopez was not in custody as of Thursday. Efforts to reach her on Friday were unsuccessful. She is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19.

Lopez is represented by the Alameda County Public Defender's Office. "We're still reviewing the evidence but so far there's absolutely no indication this incident had anything to do with Ms. Little's being on the city council," said Jeff Chorney, a spokesperson for the office. He said that when shown a photo lineup, Little did not identify Lopez as her attacker, and described Lopez as a longtime community member who has never been in trouble in Alameda County. "People shouldn't jump to conclusions just because police arrested our client," Chorney said.

In her Facebook post, Little reflected on the risks that come with public office. "People don't realize the dark side of campaigning; the fear and scariness of who is behind the door when canvassing the neighborhoods, the pending thoughts of someone is going to go off because your policy opinions don't line up with theirs, and going out in public and never knowing if you are in danger," she wrote.

Little was first elected to the Newark City Council in 2024 and is running to retain her seat; as of Friday, she was leading her opponent. She said her post drew more than 130 comments, most offering support and empathy, and described an outpouring of concern about safety for elected officials along with her desire to see her attacker held accountable. "Why would you attack someone who is asking questions about what updates you want in the park?" she said. "And to me, it makes me lose faith in humanity."