The victim of a robbery in the Columbia St. Mary’s parking garage was stabbed 14 times and beaten badly, left with a broken eye orbital, a punctured lung and an injured spleen.
According to a search warrant, the victim was returning to her car on the third floor of the parking garage on April 3 after visiting her mother in the hospital.
A man, described as 6’02,” 220 pounds with grey hair demanded her purse. She refused and he pulled out a knife. The woman then gave her bag over to the suspect.
Despite her complying with the suspect’s demands, he stabbed her 14 times and beat her, knocking out her teeth.
The victim lost a lot of blood, which covered the suspect’s clothes. Police later followed a trail of blood to a bus stop at Prospect and North Avenues.
Security footage on the bus captured the man getting on the bus and later getting off near 35th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Officers found the suspect covered in blood near that intersection and arrested him.
"It's scary just how random it was," said the victim's neighbor Amanda Tyree.
Tyree and other neighbors have been visiting the victim in the hospital.
"She definitely has a really long road. The guy was pretty vicious," said Tyree.
"She's a really good person who could use a lot of prayers and support right now," Tyree also said.
Tyree said despite her serious injuries the victim is trying to stay positive.
"She's happy to be alive," said Tyree. "It's a hard thing to wrap your mind around so she's still processing everything too."
The search warrant said the man was out on parole after serving about 10 years in prison for “committing a very similar crime in 2006.”
The man has not yet been charged but could face attempted homicide and armed robbery charges.
