A resident who braved a violent assailant to protect a woman being kicked and beaten on an Echo Park sidewalk received an award for courage from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office on April 1.

District Attorney Steve Cooley presented Robert Mark, 60, of Los Angeles, with a Courageous Citizen Award at a luncheon ceremony hosted by Rotary Club of Los Angeles. Three other individuals were also honored for acts of heroism, including a resident who testified in a gang murder case; a child witness who testified in a drug murder case; and a tow-truck driver who witnessed a car-to-car fatal shooting, then gave chase until police caught up with the armed assailants.

In January 2010, while driving, Mark saw a man kicking and punching a woman in the face as she lay on the ground.  Mark parked his car, got out and charged the assailant, who fled.

As Mark assisted the victim — who was the assailant’s ex-girlfriend — the suspect returned.  To protect the victim, Mark stood in the man’s way until the attacker fled. The defendant was captured and convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.

Honoree Jesus Delgadillo, 28, of Los Angeles, testified in a murder case against a known gang member. In April 2008, the victim, a former gang member who had turned his life around, was shot and killed by the defendant following a verbal confrontation. While other witnesses were reluctant to come forward, Delgadillo identified the gunman. The defendant was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

Honoree Chynna Hunt, 9, of Los Angeles, saw a suspect fatally shoot a victim after a drug deal in September 2008.  Despite her young age, Chynna was an extraordinary witness, and the defendant was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

In December 2008, tow-truck driver Joseph Mosesean, 52, saw a group of armed suspects in a station wagon fire a gun at another car, killing the driver.  As the suspects attempted to flee, Mosesean followed closely behind, relaying details to his company’s dispatch operator, who notified police. Mosesean followed the assailants for more than a mile before a LAPD helicopter joined the pursuit.  The suspects  were captured and convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison.