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Austin police: Homeless woman stabs five people in 30 minutes in downtown Austin
The stabbings happened in the area of Neches and Sixth streets and all within a 30-minute timeframe. The victims were all women with almost identical stories.
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin police have arrested a homeless woman they say confessed to stabbing five people in downtown Austin last night.
The stabbings happened in the area of Neches and Sixth streets and all within a 30-minute timeframe. The victims were all women with almost identical stories.
A group of women flagged down police in the 600 block of Neches Street.
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"We had officers that were flagged down," Austin police Chief Brian Manley said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "When the officer went over, he observed there was a female victim that was lying on the ground in a pool of blood."
Little did officers know, this would be one of multiple attacks downtown.
"The witnesses described seeing the suspect, after passing their group take a swing, hitting at the victim, hitting the victim and the victim falling to the ground," Manley said.
Not even 30 minutes later, another attack happened, this time in the 500 block of E. Sixth Street.
"The victim at this point said she was standing outside on the sidewalk when the suspect came up and just struck her from behind," Manley said.
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Around the same time, officers were dispatched to E. Sixth and Red River streets as someone reported a female victim had been stabbed. With three victims with similar stories, police began to realize this had to be the same suspect.
"The officers working the real-time crime center began looking at all of our HALO video cameras in the downtown area," Manley said. "Through that, they were able to both identify the suspect and track the suspect's activities."
Austin police arrested 33-year-old Raecala Morris at the ARCH on 7th Street. Manley says Morris has confessed to stabbing five people. Police are looking for the other two potential victims.
"If we have individuals in the community that have additional information regarding this series of stabbings last night, or if you were assaulted and did not report it last night, it's important that you come forward," Manley said.
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Police say they are not taking the situation lightly. Manley said in the press conference that starting Friday night, Austinites will begin to see an increased police presence in the entertainment district.