Man brutally beaten in his own driveway in Studio City; authorities searching for suspect

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating after a man was brutally beaten in his own driveway in Studio City.

The incident happened at around 7:30 p.m. on February 9 on Picturesque Drive.

The victim, Rocco, 55, spoke to FOX 11 in an exclusive interview about the attack that left him badly injured.

"I pray other people are safer. I would never wish this on anybody. I don't care how bad they are, I wouldn't wish this on anybody," said Rocco.

Rocco doesn't remember much from that evening but detailed what he does recall.

"I got home. I picked dinner up for my wife and I and I went in the house and I realized I forgot my glasses in the car so after I got done eating, I went out to my car and that was it. That's all I remember," he said.

Authorities believe Rocco was attacked from behind with a weapon.

"I didn't even see it happen. They just started hitting me from behind with a weapon. It was a blunt force object, could have been a homemade baseball bat. We don't know. One hit to the back of my head did a lot of damage. It took my jaw off. I have bleeding in the brain," he said.

Rocco also bit down on his tongue after getting hit, almost severing it.

"I believe when they hit me first in the back of the head with the blunt object, I believe that's when I bit my tongue off or almost off," he said.

Rocco somehow made his way back into the house after the attack, and his wife found him shortly afterward after arriving home.

"I got my stuff out of the trunk talking to my niece and I saw a little bit of blood on the door. I was telling my niece, 'Let me call you back. There's a little blood on the door.' So I hung up from her and I opened the door and the whole wall was covered in blood, no husband so I screamed his name," his wife told FOX 11.

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His wife said she also couldn't locate their dog at the time and was in a state of confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

"I walked down the hall still screaming and he made his way back around the corner to me and I didn't even recognize him. He didn't even look human. He had a baseball size of a knot in front of the forehead. He was bleeding from his head, his mouth, everything. When I found him, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth, barely hanging on. I thought somebody was in here killing him," she said.

His wife called 911 and asked neighbors for help as well. First responders rushed Rocco to the hospital where he was treated for severe injuries.

The incident continues to haunt the family.

"Every night that I have to go to sleep, I have anxiety and I'm hoping to get rid of it. I didn't know if I was going to make it or not for many days, not just one day but many. I'm just starting to talk to people again. I've been laid up," Rocco said.

Rocco said he is grateful to have survived the attack and believes him staying in shape helped.  

"I'm really being blessed right now I feel with my recovery," said Rocco.

"He's [Rocco] got a strong will, and he's a black belt in Martial Arts and he's been hit in the head many times and I know that not many people can live through that, what he just lived through," said his wife.

Rocco did not see the suspect so he was unable to give a suspect description to LAPD, but some neighbors are reporting suspicious activity.

"I've heard different people saying, 'I saw this guy walking down the street with a bat,' and 'I saw this guy walking down the street with a golf club,' in the past couple of days and I'm like, 'What is going on?' The public needs to know that there's someone out there doing this who needs to be caught and they need to watch their surroundings, even if it's daylight," said Rocco's wife.

The son of Rocco's wife is helping the couple feel protected during this time as the suspect remains on the run.

"I don't know if I've even allowed myself to completely break down because I don't feel like it's safe enough yet. My stomach is still in a knot," said Rocco's wife.

Neighbors do have some surveillance video and handed it over to authorities. LAPD officials said they are investigating the attack as a felony battery case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.

The family has created a GoFundMe page for assistance with medical bills.