Woman celebrating best friend's birthday walks outside and gets knife plunged into her chest by complete stranger: Cops

Inset: Kayla Harrell (GoFundMe). Background: Achillia A. Palmer appears in Multnomah County, Ore., court (KOIN/YouTube).

A woman celebrating her best friend's birthday on a night out in Oregon suddenly found that a random person stabbed her in the chest, authorities say.

Achillia A. Palmer, 36, faces charges including attempted murder, second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon, Multnomah County court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

On Sunday at about 1:45 a.m., Kayla Harrell was in Portland enjoying a night out. She was celebrating her best friend's birthday, local CBS affiliate KOIN reported.

According to a GoFundMe set up for the victim, Harrell was outside after clubbing when a "transient woman" — later alleged to be Palmer — approached and stabbed her.

"A woman approached her and just yelled like the B word at her or something," the victim's cousin, Daniel Harrell, said. "She thought that she had gotten punched in the chest. What actually happened was this woman stabbed her, but it just happened so fast."

The Portland Police Department said its officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the 400 block of Northwest 6th Avenue that night.

"When they arrived, officers found bystanders tending to a 23-year-old woman who had been stabbed," the agency added.

Authorities cared for Harrell until she was transported to a hospital. The fundraiser says she had multiple surgeries and then was listed as in stable condition. Still, she "will face an extended recovery period based on the sustained injuries."

Palmer was detained by security guards before being arrested and booked in jail. Authorities said it appeared the stabbing was a random attack as the suspect and victim did not know each other.

"Unprovoked attacks like this one are uncommon in our community," Police Chief Bob Day said. "I am relieved that this victim is expected to recover, and I am grateful for the quick actions of community members who assisted the victim. I also want to commend our officers and detectives for their swift response to a complex incident."