73-year-old Pueblo man recovering after bear spray attack

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - A 73-year-old man in Pueblo is recovering after he says he was attacked just after midnight on Christmas Day while getting out of his car at his apartment complex in the Bessemer neighborhood.

Danny Pacheco told KRDO he was sprayed with bear spray and beaten by two women he did not know. He says the attack happened without warning.

Pacheco says he had just parked and was getting out of his car when the women approached him. One of them began spraying him with bear spray, which he says immediately caused intense pain and made it difficult to see and breathe.

"It just felt like somebody threw gas on me and lit me on fire," Pacheco said. "That’s what it felt like all over my face, my head, my chest."

During the attack, Pacheco says one of the women grabbed him and tried to pull him down. He says he fought back as best he could in order to get free.

Pacheco says he feared the situation could turn deadly. "If I would have let go of her hand, she might have had a knife or a gun," he said. "That’s what I was afraid of."

According to Pacheco, the women eventually ran off. He says the incident has changed how he thinks about safety, especially at night.

Pueblo police say officers responded to the scene and found a can of bear spray, which was collected as evidence. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information related to the attack is asked to contact Pueblo police.