Graphic! Miami Zombie Victim Speaks Out

Ronald Poppo, the man who had his face chewed off by the so-called Miami zombie, Rudy Eugene, in July recounted to Miami police what happened during the attack and what it was like. CBS Miami kept up with the story and ran Poppo's full interview.

Poppo was blinded by the attack, which happened in May. Eugene was shot dead at the scene. Poppo is now living in a long-term assisted care facility in South Florida.

Discovery News read the transcript of Poppo's interview with a Miami detective. Below, Poppo describes in detail what happened that day.
Detective: On the day of May 26, 2012 ... can you tell me, in your own words, speak slowly and clearly, what happened on or about two o'clock p.m. that afternoon?

Poppo: The hithchiker returned from the beach, who was in a kind of a glad mode for a while. Then he turned kind of vicious after -- after -- after a minute or two. And he started to rip -- rip me apart.

He mashed my face into the, ah, sidewalk. My face is all bent, mashed up. My eyes -- my eyes got plucked -- plucked out. He was strangling me in wrestling holds. At the same time, he was picking my eyes out. He was strangling me in wresting holds.

For a very short amount of time, I thought he was a good guy. But he just went and turned berserk. He apparently didn't have a good day at the beach, and he -- he was coming back. And I guess he took it out on me -- or something. I don't know.

Poppo went on to talk about how he met up with his attacker after he had come back from the beach, what he was wearing and how he had seemed flustered before he jumped on him for no apparent reason.
Detective: What was he saying when he was assaulting you?

Poppo: "You, me, buddy, and nobody else here. I'm gonna -- gonna kill you." or something like that, I guess.

D: Did he say why?

P: No, he just started to scream. And he was talking kind of funny talk for a while too, yeah.

D: What do you mean by "funny talk"?

P: That I was gonna die. And he was gonna die. He must have been souped up on something.

D: Okay.

P: He -- he had some kind desperate preoccupation of that type.

D: Did you say anything to him to provoke him?

P: I don't see where. Nothing like that. What can provoke an attack of that type?

Poppo said he got the impression that his attacker dealt drugs and that he used them too; at one point Eugene referred to himself as an acid head. He described how Eugene first seemed nice, but then attacked Poppo when he was standing. And then Poppo said this:
D: ... is there anything else you want to say that, um ... ?

P: Nah, I thank the Miami Police Department for saving my life. That -- that's about the best I could sum it up as.

If they didn't get there in a nick of time, I would -- would've definitely be in worse shape. Possibly I'll be DOA.