HOUSTON – A man is now in custody after a woman was attacked in a downtown Houston parking garage Thursday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police responded around 9:10 a.m. to a parking garage in the 600 block of Travis Street, near Houston’s Theater District.
Investigators said the victim, a 28-year-old woman, had just arrived at the garage when she was approached by a 23-year-old homeless man.
The man allegedly choked the woman and physically assaulted her. At one point during the attack, the victim lost consciousness, police said.
After regaining consciousness, the woman was able to fight back and break free. She then alerted nearby security personnel. Dispatch audio revealed that someone called 911 after hearing a woman screaming inside the parking garage.
An officer working a second job at the location immediately began searching for the person of interest after hearing the dispatch.
The woman said the attacker drove her vehicle to the second level of the garage before fleeing on foot.
Around 1:15 p.m., the woman’s vehicle was towed from the scene.
She was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
KPRC 2 obtained a still image of the man police believed was responsible for the attack before he was taken into custody.
The person of interest was later located and detained near the intersection of Main Street and McGowen Street.
Law enforcement sources at the scene told KPRC 2 reporter Bryce Newberry they were familiar with the person they detained from previous encounters in the area.
The case is being investigated by HPD’s Major Assaults Division. Charges had not been filed as of this writing.
KPRC 2 reached out to Hines, the property management company for the garage where the attack occurred. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
“We are aware of the incident that occurred in the parking garage this morning. Security and on-site law enforcement responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with the Houston Police Department in its investigation. The safety and security of our tenants, visitors and employees remains our top priority.”