Fort Worth police say they have arrested a man wanted in connected with a fatal stabbing that took place Thursday evening at Ridgmar Mall.
Investigators believe Jose Carreon stabbed a man in the mall's parking lot. Witnesses said the victim then stumbled inside looking for help. The victim, whose name is not yet known and who is believed to be 35 years old, was transported to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Friday morning, police released pictures of Carreon, who they believed was heading south in a purple 1999 Honda Accord with the Texas license plate CVB4731. But in the afternoon, they caught up with him just a few blocks away from police headquarters at the Chop House in Downtown Fort Worth.
The restaurant's general manager said Carreon was on the patio, and police took him into custody without any incidents.
Police believe the stabbing victim was targeted, and this was not a random act of violence. However, police have not yet revealed a motive.
"Ridgmar Mall management applauds the Ft. Worth Police Department for its efforts in bringing the investigation to a swift conclusion," said mall spokesperson Marianne Fasano. "Our thoughts continue to be with the deceased and his family. A situation such as this is an anomaly and an isolated incident. We are appalled that this tragedy has occurred."
Shopper Missy Watson expressed concern about the slaying but said it wasn't going to stop her from going to the mall.
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“You expect to go to a mall, get your shopping done and get out and everything is OK. You’re not expecting to see this or hear about it,” said Watson. “It’s something that happened, but it would not stop me from shopping in this area. Obviously, I’m out here this morning.”
Watson said she understood it was a targeted attack on one individual but said she'd like to see more patrols from mall security heading into the holiday season where people are often carrying more bags and expensive merchandise.
“It’s scary to know this happened. I think maybe they should step up security in case this is something with the holiday season coming up. There’s a lot of times people walk to their cars, and I feel like there’s not a lot of security, maybe. I mean, they do drive around, but maybe they should drive around more,” said Watson. “I think if people saw more vehicles driving up and down the aisles they would know. They would feel safer walking to their car.”
NBC 5's Jeff Smith contributed to this report.
