Deputies: Man arrested downtown after attempt to rob woman

Suspect claims to be mentally unstable

HOUSTON – A man who claims he is mentally unstable was arrested Wednesday for allegedly attempting to rob a woman in downtown Houston, according to Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.

A Precinct 1 civilian employee was on her way to work when a man allegedly pushed her to the ground and robbed her.

The suspect fled the scene, but eyewitnesses led officers to his apartment complex in the 1400 block of Congress.

Officers surrounded the place, found him hiding and took him into custody.

"He left his apartment and tried to slip off to a maintenance room on the third floor," said Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.  "But we had the place surrounded, so there really wasn't any place for the suspect to go."

Authorities say he may be connected to an attempted aggravated assault incident near the courthouse in recent weeks.

"I can tell you a couple of incidents have happened here and we're all on a higher alert, so we're going to be beefing up what we already have in place," Rosen said.

The Precinct 1 employee suffered minor injuries.

The suspect, Damon Hines, faces an aggravated robbery charge. Authorities say he has a lengthy criminal past.