Just before sunrise on a quiet Long Beach street a man walking home from work had no idea someone was waiting for him.
On February 13, 2025, around 5:50 a.m., the 60-year-old taxi dispatcher was heading down Arizona Avenue after finishing his overnight shift at Long Beach Taxi. Out of nowhere, a former coworker came up from behind.
Authorities say 35-year-old Anthony Calvo ambushed the man and began swinging an ax, striking him repeatedly in the head, face, and arm. The attack was brutal and targeted, leaving the victim collapsed on the sidewalk with life-threatening injuries.
Somehow, he survived.
Bleeding and severely injured, the victim managed to drag himself to the backyard of his home and bang on the door for help. A family member called 911, and Long Beach Police rushed to the scene. He was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries.
But the damage was devastating.
Nearly a year later, prosecutors say he is still relearning how to perform basic tasks and requires constant care.
At first, the attacker vanished.
Surveillance video captured a chilling clue: a man dressed in dark clothing speeding away from the scene on a white electronic bicycle.
That detail would become critical.
Days later, investigators executed a search warrant at Calvo’s apartment. Inside, they found the white e-bike. They also recovered a full-face mask.
And then, the turning point.
The ax used in the attack was located and forensic testing revealed Calvo’s DNA on the weapon.
It was the mistake that unraveled everything.
Calvo was arrested on March 12, 2025, by Long Beach Police.
Now, more than a year after the attack, the case has reached its conclusion.
Calvo has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and is expected to be sentenced to 22 years in prison on May 1, 2026.
For the victim and his family, the recovery continues.
But for the man who waited in the dark with an ax, the path forward now leads to prison.
