Horrific bachelorette celebration drama means glamorous bride-to-be will not be capable of smile on her large day
It was meant to be the bachelorette weekend of a lifetime for 27-year-old Canada Rinaldi – a dazzling, unforgettable celebration just one month before she walked down the aisle to marry the love of her life, the father of her two children.
For an entire year, she had meticulously planned every detail of her Dallas getaway -luxurious boat rides, indulgent brunches, a pole dancing class, and a wild night out with her closest friends.
But in a shocking, random act of violence outside a club, Canada was brutally attacked – her dream weekend reduced to blood and chaos, leaving her with eight stitches on her forehead, a broken nose, two black eyes, three broken teeth, and a concussion.
‘My entire right side of my face looks completely different. I don’t even know how to describe it – it’s just a different shape than it used to be. It’s hard to tell if it’s just swelling or if there’s more damage underneath,’ said Canada.
‘She was covered in blood – there was a puddle on the street, and we couldn’t even tell where the blood was coming from because it was everywhere,’ Canada’s 23-year-old sister Brieanna Rinaldi, told DailyMail.com, who was the only one in the group who witnessed the actual attack.
‘At first, it seemed like he was reaching for her cowboy hat – but he swung his arm back and struck her. She collapsed on the concrete, face down,’ said Brieanna.
On Sunday, March 23, the bridesmaids had just left the club, Cash Cow, around 2am and were waiting for their Uber when, just as their ride approached, a man that has now been identified 27-year-old Trevor Woodards, suddenly came up behind Canada and punched her in the face, leaving her unconscious in the street.
Having just been released on parole, he was arrested on Friday for the assault. Records show Woodards has a lengthy criminal history, including charges of assaulting a police officer, misdemeanor assault, and burglary.
Canada Rinaldi, 27, was randomly attacked during her bachelorette party in Texas on Sunday, March 23. She’s pictured enjoying her weekend before the random attack
Canada’s celebration was shattered when she was randomly attacked outside a club, leaving her with serious injuries, including eight stitches, a broken nose, two black eyes, and a concussion
The incident was captured on Uber dashcam footage, revealing the attacker lurking before striking
Canada said that she and her friends had no prior contact with Woodards.
‘Since it was just a group of us, we didn’t really pay any attention to anyone else. If we danced, we all danced together. I don’t think anyone came up to us. Nobody bought us drinks. We didn’t have any interaction with anyone else,’ she explained.
They only noticed him after reviewing their Uber’s dash cam footage, where he was seen ‘sitting on the curb watching us, and then, I guess as we come closer to the Uber, is when he gets up and comes behind us’.
The footage also showed the terrifying moment when one of her bridesmaids, Kelly Peralta, tried to intervene, only to be punched as well and left with a black eye.
‘She’s very deserving to have the perfect day, and now she doesn’t even want to plan her wedding because of everything that’s happening,’ Peralta told DailyMail.com.
Peralta offered a chilling perspective on the attack, suggesting it wasn’t as random as it initially appeared.
‘There were girls standing directly in front of him while he was sitting on the curb in the video,’ she explained. ‘I think he targeted Canada, because she was in all white and the rest of us were in pink, so she was obviously the star of the show.’
Tina Rinaldi, 29, Canada’s older sister, painted a gut-wrenching picture of the aftermath, her voice raw with emotion and protective fury.
Trevor Woodards (pictured), 27, was arrested in connection to Rinaldi’s assault just days after being released on parole
The attack, seemingly targeted at Canada due to her white attire, left her unconscious in the street
‘I lifted her head, and all I could see was red. Her entire face was covered. I didn’t know if she’d been stabbed or what – it was just so much blood,’ said Tina Rinaldi, Canada’s older sister
‘She’s the sweetest person in the world – not just in how she looks, but in who she is. And now, she has to deal with this. I just hope she stays strong and doesn’t let it destroy her special day,’ said Tina
‘I ran after him, but then turned back around after a few seconds because there was no way I was going to catch that guy’ she recounted, her voice shaking.
What she returned to was a nightmare. ‘I ran back to my sister, screaming. I dropped to my knees, yelling for someone to call 911. People looked me straight in the eyes – and did nothing.’
The indifference of bystanders, the shock of seeing her sister’s face drenched in blood, the frantic search for her phone – every second was pure chaos.
‘I lifted her head, and all I could see was red. Her entire face was covered. I didn’t know if she’d been stabbed or what – it was just so much blood,’ recalled Tina.
Tina said she’s devastated for her little sister.
‘My sister is my best friend. I’m supposed to protect her. And even though I know there was nothing I could’ve done – because this was just some psycho who decided to try to ruin her life – I still feel like I should have been the one it happened to or the one who stopped it,’ Tina said, describing the rage she feels as suffocating.
‘She’s the sweetest person in the world – not just in how she looks, but in who she is. And now, she has to deal with this. I just hope she stays strong and doesn’t let it destroy her special day.’
For an entire year, Canada had meticulously planned every detail of her Dallas getaway – luxurious boat rides, indulgent brunches, a pole dancing class, and a wild night out. They are pictured together on the boat trip
Canada said she wants the man who shattered her sister’s bachelorette weekend to face the harshest punishment possible
Tina wants the man who shattered her sister’s bachelorette weekend to face the harshest punishment possible.
‘If it hadn’t been my sister, it would’ve been someone else. He was lurking, waiting, preying on women, just looking for the perfect opportunity,’ she said. ‘And if he isn’t stopped, he’ll do it again – if he hasn’t already.’
Despite the trauma, Canada said she is determined to go through with her wedding.
‘We’ve been planning for a long time. We’ve put a lot of money into our venue. We have everything ready to go, and we’ve been anticipating it for a long time,’ she explained.
‘So as long as I’m healthy, we still love each other regardless of what I look like. So we don’t see any reason to hold off.’
That said, she can’t help but worry about how she’ll look on her big day.
‘I’ve already talked to my photographer about editing out the scars, especially the one on my forehead where I have stitches and most of the damage. I’m also concerned my nose might not be straight. If it’s not, I probably won’t have it fixed until after the wedding.’
The emotional toll was clear. ‘It’s one of those things that you don’t ever think that will happen to you. Even when I see something about it on the news. I keep asking myself, ‘Why? Why did this happen? Why did it happen to me?”
Pictured: The moment Canada was proposed to by her now fiance, whom she shares two sons with
Her children, a four-year-old with autism and a two-year-old, were a source of both comfort and concern. ‘They just know to be a little bit more careful,’ Canada said, her voice softening.
As for the attacker, Canada said he hopes he gets taken off the streets. ‘He has to pay for what he did.’
A GoFundMe has been made to raise money for Canada’s unexpected medical bills, totaling around $10,000.
