The victim said the attack happened while he walked to a South Dallas gas station.
DALLAS — A 33-year-old man is recovering after he said a stranger slashed his throat in broad daylight while he walked to a gas station in South Dallas, leaving him bleeding on the pavement before he collapsed inside the store.
The victim, Joseph Womack, survived emergency surgery and a blood transfusion, but investigators have not announced an arrest or released a description of the attacker. The case has raised fresh concerns about random street violence near busy businesses, and it has also put a spotlight on how quickly a serious injury can deepen the struggles of people already living without stable housing.
Womack said the attack happened Monday afternoon as he walked near the intersection of Corinth Street and South Cesar Chavez Boulevard, heading to a Shamrock gas station to buy a soda. He said a man he had never met stepped up and demanded cigarettes. Womack said he told the man he did not have any and asked to be left alone, but the stranger grabbed his shoulder and pulled a knife before cutting his throat and fleeing. “When he grabbed my shoulder, he pulled out a knife — a good 6 inches long and 2 inches wide,” Womack said.
Bleeding heavily, Womack said he made it to the gas station before he collapsed. He described the amount of blood pooling at his feet in the minutes after he was cut, saying it spread wider than his body. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery. Womack said he received a transfusion and later left the hospital with about a dozen stitches. He said he must keep a drain in place while the wound heals, a detail that shows how close the injury came to killing him.
Dallas police have not announced an arrest, and they have not released a suspect description. Investigators have also not said whether the attacker was captured on surveillance video from the gas station or nearby businesses, or whether detectives have identified witnesses beyond the victim. Police have not described a motive, and it was not clear whether Womack knew the man who approached him or whether the encounter was truly random, beyond Womack’s statement that he had never seen the attacker before.
In cases like this, detectives typically work to map the suspect’s path before and after the assault, using any available video, phone tips, and accounts from people in the area. Police have not said what kind of knife was used, beyond Womack’s description of the blade’s size, and they have not released details about where exactly the attack occurred in relation to the gas station entrance. Officials also have not said whether the suspect used a vehicle to escape or ran on foot, information that can shape the search area and the urgency of public alerts.
The location described by Womack sits in a busy part of South Dallas where major streets meet and drivers regularly stop for fuel, drinks, and snacks. Gas stations often serve as informal gathering points, with steady foot traffic and quick interactions between strangers. That environment can help investigators because many stations have multiple cameras, but it can also complicate a case when people come and go quickly, and when witnesses are unsure what they saw in a brief moment.
Womack said he was unhoused at the time of the attack, living on the streets and sometimes staying in shelters. After he was released from the hospital, he connected with Our Calling Ministries, a nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness in the Dallas area. Maria Mills, who works with the organization, said the public often misunderstands why people remain outside. “I think there’s this idea that people don’t want to get off the streets and that’s not true,” Mills said.
Mills said Womack is one of the group’s clients and is now working with a care minister to get follow-up medical care and help with a path toward stable housing. She said the attack interrupted progress that had already been underway. “Our goal is to get people off the streets,” Mills said, adding that the organization had been close to placing him before the stabbing. The organization’s work now includes helping Womack keep medical appointments and manage recovery needs that can be hard to meet without steady transportation, rest, and a safe place to heal.
Womack said he remains weak and can barely walk, but he wanted to share his story while detectives continue to look for the attacker. He said he hopes public attention brings in information that could stop the suspect from hurting someone else. “I just thank you guys for helping me get this out there so maybe we can save someone else’s life from being damaged like this,” Womack said. Police have encouraged anyone with information about the case to contact the Dallas Police Department.
As of Sunday, investigators had not publicly identified a suspect, and police had not said when they expect to release additional details. The next milestone is any public update on a suspect description or a request for help identifying a person seen on video near the gas station area.
Author note: Last updated February 15, 2026.