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Dallas police arrested a homeless man for stabbing two women downtown in broad daylight Sunday.

Police said 22-year-old Brandon Holbert accused the women of taking his picture, began ranting incoherently then pulled out a folding pocket knife.

The women ran away but police said Holbert followed them into an elevator in the Wilson Building at the intersection of Main and North Ervay streets.

Holbert slashed at the women with the knife, cutting them on their face, arms and shoulders. The women were able to get away and a witness trapped Holbert in the elevator until officers arrived, police said.


Both women were taken to the hospital and are expected to be okay. Holbert was booked into the Dallas County jail and charged with two counts of aggravated assault. His bond has not yet been set.

Downtown residents said the Downtown Neighborhood Association and Dallas police all know the homeless population is a problem.

“There are a lot of people on the streets in the morning sleeping on the grates, sleeping in the corners, using the restroom on the streets. I see them walking, chasing people, confronting people, crossing the streets getting in front of traffic. The police are regularly down here. The ambulances are regularly down here and it’s something the city knows about,” said David Seng, who lives nearby.

Just last week Dallas’ new police chief, Renee Hall, released the latest crime stats and those numbers show that aggravated assaults are up more than 18 percent from this time last year in the Downtown Dallas area.