A man accused of hitting a stranger in the head with a hammer inside a Beaverton Fred Meyer stood defiant in court Monday.

KGW photo

Sharon Weil as shown in a photo from her family.

Family and friends told KGW on Sunday that 56-year-old Sharon Weil was in great pain after the attack, but her health condition had been upgraded at the hospital from critical to fair by Monday.

She was in Aisle 10 shopping for ingredients for a Mother's Day brunch when police said Eric Osterholme, 65, of Beaverton, approached her and hit her in the head.

In court, Osterholme faced attempted murder and assault charges, complaining about food in jail.

"I am not going along with theses procedures until I get food that is safe to eat," he said.

He has a previous harassment charge from 2002 where police said he swore at a 6-year-old neighbor boy and hit him in the throat.

Fred Meyer officials said nothing like this random attack had ever happened before.

"Our company is cooperating 110 percent with the investigating agency. This has never happened before and is a highly unusual situation, but customer service remains our number one priority," Fred Meyer spokeswoman Melinda Merrill said.

She added that the store had handed over surveillance tape to police, to aid in the investigation.

 More: Suspect arrested for unusual attack in the past

Police arrived on scene shortly after the attack. Witnesses said a man hit Weil in the head with a hammer in an isle in the grocery department then threw the hammer into another isle and then just walked off. Those witnesses pointed out Osterholme to police when they arrived.

Washington County Jail

Police say Eric Osterholme randomly attacked a woman with a hammer at a Beaverton Fred Meyer.

Police did recover the hammer. Police said it was unclear if Osterholme picked up the hammer in the store or brought it in with him.

There was no word on any type of motive for the crime.

Anyone with more information should call the Beaverton Police Department.