4 women stabbed, slashed in Northwest D.C.

UPDATE – Saturday – 6/22/2013, 3:45 p.m. ET

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for the stabbing of a woman in D.C.

Police arrested Garey Jones III, of Northwest D.C., Saturday in connection with the stabbing of a woman shortly after midnight on June 19 in the 1100 block of Allison Street NW, in the Petworth area. Jones allegedly tackled the woman, cut her with a sharp object and fled.

Jones has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. There were three other attacks in that area between May 5 and June 14. Jones is being investigated as a possible suspect in those cases as well.

EARLIER – Wednesday – 6/19/2013, 9:15 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON – Metropolitan police are searching for a man who allegedly stabbed or slashed four women in Northwest D.C. over a six-week period.

The incidents occurred between May 5 and June 19, and appear to be similar in nature, officials say. Three of the attacks happened in Petworth and prompted D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier to urge women to take extra care when walking late at night.

Police say the women fought to get away from their attacker and none suffered life-threatening injuries.

The most recent attack took place Wednesday just after midnight while a woman was walking in the 1100 block of Allison Street. The suspect approached her from behind and tackled her to the ground, police say. The man cut her and then fled.


If you are approached and attacked, in each of these cases the women did scream or fight back and the attacker fled, so I would say…you should be vocal and you should scream.

—Police Chief Cathy Lanier


Friday, June 14, another attack was reported on Adams Street NW. The victim was walking alone around 12:05 a.m. when she was grabbed from behind and stabbed. The suspect fled.

Earlier that week, on Monday, June 10, a woman walking in the 1300 block of Decatur Street NW was attacked in the same way. The suspect in this instance was wearing a yellow and black shirt and dark pants, D.C. police say.

The first victim in this series of attacks was assaulted May 5 around 11:15 p.m. in the 400 block of Emerson Street NW. She too was grabbed from behind and stabbed. The suspect was wearing “a dark hooded track suit with a large horizontal white stripe on the chest, and a yellow stripe on the sleeve,” police say.

“In each of these cases the women were alone, it was between 10 p.m. and a little after midnight,” Lanier said at a press conference outside police headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

The women who were attacked range in age from their 20s through early 50s, and they are of different races: white, black and Hispanic, police say.

The attacks appear to be unprovoked. When asked if any of the victims had been robbed, Lanier said, “There has not been any robbery.”

In the wake of the string of stabbings, Lanier said women should be extra careful.

“We are asking that until we identify and apprehend this person that women, try to have someone with you if you’re out in the late evening hours, be aware of your surroundings.”

“If you are approached and attacked, in each of these cases the women did scream or fight back and the attacker fled, so I would say…you should be vocal and you should scream and try and get away,” the chief added.

The suspect is described as black or Hispanic with a light to medium complexion and short brown hair. He is between 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-1. He has an athletic build.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call police at 202- 727-9099, or you can send police information anonymously through the department’s Text Tip Line by messaging 50411.

WTOP’s Michelle Basch contributed to this report. Follow @mbaschwtop and @WTOP on Twitter.

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