A Hutto family wants answers after they say their 78-year-old dad was attacked by a man with an axe outside of a Home Depot.

Manuel Vera was at the Home Depot near Ed Schmidt Boulevard and Chandler Road last Friday when, according to his son, he was attacked by a stranger.

“It had all of us very shocked. None of us have ever seen this guy before,” said Vera’s son, Larry Hopper.

Hopper said the man did not say anything before attacking his father.

“The guy never said anything. Just started swinging,” Hopper said.

Hopper said Vera suffered multiple injuries in the attack, including a skull fracture, wounds to his head and both arms, a broken arm and a broken finger.

“He’s an old man, you know, he can’t protect himself. I could see his head and I could see blood,” Hopper said.

According to Hutto police, officers responded to the Home Depot for a report of aggravated assault. Police said officers later took a suspect into custody nearby on Chandler Road.

KXAN asked the Hutto Police Department for more information about the incident, including what led up to the attack, the suspect’s identity and any charges filed. We are still waiting to hear back.

Hopper said his father now faces a long road to recovery. A GoFundMe has also been created to help Vera’s family with medical expenses.

“I still can’t understand why it happened. The road to recovery is going to be a lot more challenging mentally than it’s going to be physically. I think, just because that mental side of it, it’s hard to get past,” Hopper said.

Hopper said the family still has questions about what led to the attack and why his father was targeted, and that he hopes the person responsible faces serious consequences.

“I’d like to see the guy locked up. He’s a danger to society,” Hopper said.