One month after a brutal attack outside her downtown Miami condominium, Caitlin Dydzuhn is recovering physically and emotionally — and publicly thanking the stranger who stepped in and saved her life.
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Dydzuhn suffered severe cuts, required stitches, and sustained permanent damage to her eye after police say she was knocked to the ground, punched, and stabbed with a homemade shank. The attack happened just steps from her building, across from the Kaseya Center.
“You never would know this until you become a victim,” Dydzuhn said. “You become a semi‑public figure overnight, and people attack you for everything — your appearance, your mannerisms.”
Her attacker, identified by police as Raydean Johnson, was subdued with a taser and taken into custody. He remains in jail.
But amid the trauma, Dydzuhn says one thing has brought her comfort: the man who rushed in to stop the assault.
Cassius Bythewood, a Miami resident, was walking nearby when he saw the attack and intervened. Police credit him with preventing the assault from becoming fatal.
“The way I was raised was: do not panic in situations and help those in need,” Bythewood said.
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The two have remained close since the incident. On Monday night, Dydzuhn and Bythewood attended a community meeting with neighbors and the Miami Police Chief to discuss safety concerns for downtown residents.
“As horrific as this is, it has been a blessing to grow a friendship with her,” Bythewood said. “This is something that bonds two people for life.”
Bythewood is no stranger to community involvement. Every Saturday, he organizes the 10K Steps Miami program — originally a women’s fitness walk that has grown into a large empowerment and community‑building group for women across South Florida.
“I think it is important when communities come together,” he said. “Especially when we have dialogues about safety, mental health, and other issues that can plague neighborhoods.”
Dydzuhn continues to recover from her injuries as the criminal case moves forward.
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