MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – A man is speaking out after he was attacked by someone attempting to steal a catalytic converter in Milford.

The attack happened outside of Luke O’Brien’s home on Concord Avenue. Around 2 a.m. on June 14, he woke up to a grinding noise in his driveway.

He looked out the window, saw a strange car and quickly ran outside. Then out of nowhere, a man slashed his face with a sharp blade from a power tool, from his ear to his chin, and fled with another man in the car.

They later learned the man was trying to steal a catalytic converter from the neighbor’s car, according to Milford police, a type of crime that has become a trend across the state.

O’Brien’s son took him to the hospital and he was transferred to Yale Trauma Center. He lost about a quart of blood and also has injuries to his shoulder, knee and toe.

O’Brien is still in disbelief. He needed 300 stitches on his face and said he is lucky to be alive.

“How can somebody do this to somebody else’s face and whatever you know,” O’Brien said. “It’s just a tragic thing. People have no regard for other people, our lives.”

O’Brien is a carpenter and is self-employed. He’ll have about two months of recovery and will then have to go through rehab, so he will be out of work.

“I was scared they were going to rip me off, I wasn’t thinking of my life, you know, and that was one of the problems,” O’Brien said. “I’ve got to live with this the rest of my life.”

Now, days later, O’Brien wants to warn others in the same situation to call 911 first as he waits for justice to be served.

“Right now my face is all disfigured, but it could have been worse, I could have been dead,” O’Brien said. “I know they’ll get them, it’s just a matter of time.”

The suspect is described as a tall, thin man, wearing all black and a black face mask, according to police. The suspect fled the area in what is believed to be a silver sedan. 

Investigators are still looking for those responsible. If you have any information about what happened, call the Milford Police Department at 203-783-4727.

O’Brien noted that he believes the suspects came by his neighborhood the night before. He saw people outside with flashlights and a car by his driveway, but by the time he got downstairs, the car was gone.  

He has received an outpouring of support from family, friends, and the community. His family has already raised more than $20,000 through a GoFundMe page.