Bride-to-be says stranger knocked her unconscious near Dallas bar after bachelorette party
A bride-to-be from Oklahoma was enjoying her bachelorette trip in Dallas when a “horrifying attack” outside a bar four weeks before her wedding left her brutally injured.
Canada Rinaldi, 27, and her friends were leaving a club after her bachelorette party in the Deep Ellum area of East Dallas on March 22 when a stranger approached and violently assaulted her until she was unconscious, Rinaldi told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.
Dashcam video from a ride-share driver captured the moments after Rinaldi was hit by the man and fell to the pavement. Her bridesmaid Kelly Peralta, who tried to step in, was also punched by the attacker, WFAA reported.
Rinaldi was taken to a hospital by ambulance. She had a concussion, a broken nose, three broken teeth and needed eight stitches to her face, according to a GoFundMe account friends organized to help her with more than $10,000 in medical expenses.
Rinaldi told WFAA that she couldn’t believe the assault was happening to her and she was in shock.
“I feel like a lot of my experiences were taken away from me,” she said.
The attacker fled the scene, witnesses said. No arrests have been made.
Kirsten McDowell started the GoFundMe asking for help to pay over $10,000 in medical expenses from the ambulance, hospital stay, and ongoing care that she said insurance won’t cover.
“Just 24 hours earlier, she had told us she was having the best trip of her life.” McDowell wrote in the GoFundMe post. “That happiness was ripped away from her in an instant, turning it into the most terrifying and traumatizing night she’s ever experienced.”
“I feel like I’m not excited to plan my wedding anymore,” Rinaldi told WFAA. “... I’m getting there. It’s hard, but I’ll be OK.”
She said she hopes Dallas police will identify and arrest the man.
Anyone with information about the assault is encouraged to contact the Dallas Police Department.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 12:25 PM.