Pauley Perrette: Horrifying Attack Gave Me New ‘Motivation’

Pauley Perrette has helped solve
countless crimes as forensic scientist Abby Scuito since “NCIS”
began. But on November 12, 2015, Pauley became the victim of a crime when she
was allegedly assaulted by a homeless man in Hollywood.

And now, Pauley says she’s lucky
to be alive – but the actress is dealing with the post-traumatic effects
brought on by her horrific ordeal.

“I was just walking down
the street in my neighborhood. And I barely escaped with my life. I’m extremely
grateful to be here,” Pauley told Access Hollywood, in a
new exclusive interview.

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In the immediate aftermath of
the attack – which happened near her rental property, not far from her own home
– Pauley said all she wanted to do
was let everyone know she was alive.

“The first 48 hours after I
was attacked and I was alive, I felt like just my one mission was to let the
world know I’m OK,” she explained.

It was soon thereafter that the
psychological effects set in.

“It was a while after that I
really felt the shock and just… what trauma does to you,” Pauley said.
“I unfortunately have a new fear in my life that I didn’t have
before.”

The suspect in the attack –
David Merck, a 45-year-old homeless man – was arrested on felony charges and is
awaiting trial.

Pauley, a longtime advocate for
the homeless, said she wept for her alleged attacker.

“I shed so many tears for
the man that attacked me. I cried and I cried and I cried because just, what is
he doing? He’s so lost and he’s out there with no resources, and he broke my
heart,” she said. “It’s given me a motivation to work harder.”

However, that motivation was
tempered with fear when Pauley faced him in court.

“It was as if no one was in
that room… I was back on that sidewalk alone with him and I was
terrified,” Pauley said. “And there’s just something about the look
of, I guess it’s just like being lost, you know? It’s terrifying and it’s
sad.”

As for a message she now has for
the alleged attacker?

“I forgive you,”
Pauley said.

— Eric Anderson