‘Sometimes I cry out of nowhere’: Victim tells of attack caught on cam

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The job of a hospice worker is hard enough, being with people during the final days of their lives and ing their families.

But Jasmine Thomas tells us she has a ion for this job, and doesn’t want what happened to her take that away.

She was assaulted on Monday on the way to her job.

John Rosso, 79, was arrested on Monday for assault and battery, third degree.

The video of the incident is making waves online, and on Thursday, we heard from her on what exactly happened.

Take a look.

Officers say they responded to a home on Bellreive Drive where Jasmine Thomas, 25, was at the front steps with swelling on her face.

Thomas works on Bellreive Drive as a hospice caretaker.

As she turned onto Bellreive, Thomas ed Rosso, who was talking to an unknown female along the street. According to the incident report, Rosso lives on Bellreive.

Thomas told officers that Rosso then got into his car and caught up to her at a very high speed.

Thomas stated that as she turned into the driveway of the home where she works, Rosso approached her driver’s side door and began to beat on her window hard enough that she thought it was going to shatter.

As Thomas rolled her window down, Rosso hit her in the face, according to the incident report.

Thomas told officers that as she tried to get out of her car, Rosso slammed the door on parts of her body.

The incident report states that Thomas then crawled over her console and exited through her enger door, making her way toward the door of the home.

According to the incident report, Rosso ran after her and hit her in the face again, after which Thomas tried to hit him back.

“You don’t belong here,” Rosso allegedly said, calling her a b***h, according to the incident report.

Thomas said she was afraid Rosso would “kill her and her children” if he ever saw them out, according to the incident report.

At that time, the homeowner ran outside to help Thomas as she was being attacked, the report states.

The homeowner got between Thomas and Rosso, separating the two.

The homeowner told officials that Thomas has been working for his family for a while, and he believes the incident was “provoked by racism.”

We can read this report and watch the video we just showed you, but Thomas wanted to share her story with us.

She started working for the Herring family about a year ago.

Sitting down with her, Josh and Meredith Herring, you instantly see how close they are.

Family doesn’t always mean blood.

“Jazzy, like they call me Jazzy,” said Thomas.

Jasmine Thomas is a CNA working for the Herring family.

“We love her like our own. And thank y’all for treating me like that, too,” said Thomas.

For about a year,

“We fell in love with her because she takes good care of my dad,” said Josh.

It takes a special kind of person to work with someone in their final days.

“She’s a good teacher. I asked her do they give classes on how to turn patients do this? And she’s like, ‘I’ll teach you.’ And she’s taught me how to bathe him, turn him. She’s been great,” said Meredith.

They don’t have to say it, but you feel that love.

“Everybody’s come to love her, and we can’t imagine it without her. And so after the situation, all I hear is like three loud knocks. Y’all, the knocks were so loud. Now it’s like every time I hear something loud, it’s kind of traumatizing because it’s like, what is it,” said Thomas.

Meredith and Josh tell us they were hesitant to sit down with us because they want this to be Jasmine’s story, but Jasmine says this is their story.

She hasn’t been able to go back to work since this happened, and says all she can think about is her kids and their safety.

“It’s been scary, though. Every time I close my eyes, I think about him. I see him in my head every time I close my eyes. I don’t like being shut in a dark room anymore. Or if I’m sleeping, there has to be some kind of light where I can see. I don’t like being in the dark. Or sometimes I cry out of nowhere. Or if I hear something loud, I just jump out my body. It’s kind of scary for real,” said Thomas.

“She was here to care for my dad like she’s been doing for an entire year. So, we felt it was important to make sure that we know that this story is ‘Jazzy’s story,’” said Josh.

“Thank God for Josh and Meredith. You know, they can stay all day long. They’re not gonna make it about them. It’s . Because had they wouldn’t have been here, no telling how far it would’ve escalated,” said Thomas.

Because in the end, family takes care of family.

Thomas recorded the incident on her cellphone, and the Herrings said they Ring doorbell footage of it as well, according to the incident report.

Data from the American Nurses Association and National Nurses United shows, sadly, that violence against those in healthcare is not uncommon.

Among some of the stats, National Nurses United said just over 80 percent of nurses reported experiencing violence in its 2023 report.

With those ranging from physical abuse to verbal threats.

And the American Nurses Association said one in four nurses reported being assaulted.

Bond was set at $1,087.50, according to the Aiken County Detention Center.

Aiken Department of Public Safety says they do not have any other incident reports involving Rosso, and they do not have any knowledge of any medical issues.

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