Police say the suspect wanted for a violent attack on a Downtown Dallas street corner is behind bars. We’ve learned the victim is a Dallas County employee who was on her lunch break when she was knocked unconscious. NBC 5’s Meredith Yeomans explains how police made the arrest.
A man is in custody, accused of hitting a woman in the head and knocking her to the ground in Downtown Dallas last week.
The victim works at the Dallas County District Clerk's office, according to District Clerk Felicia Pitre, who added the victim and suspect did not know each other.
Pitre identified the the clerk as Elizabeth but declined to disclose her last name to protect her privacy.
"We see it every day. We're not numb to it but when it affects you directly, it's personal," Pitre told NBC 5.
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Pitre says Elizabeth left the courthouse for a walk on her lunch break on Thursday afternoon. Her co-workers became concerned when Elizabeth didn't return.
They'd learn she was the victim of a vicious attack on a street corner less than a half mile from work.
Pitre says first responders identified Elizabeth by the badge she was wearing and called the office.
"I’m just in a panic trying to get there," said Pitre who drove to the hospital.
Friday, surveillance video surfaced showing a woman waiting at the corner of Field and Elm streets in Downtown Dallas at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday when she was approached from behind by a man holding an object in his hand. The man is seen on video striking the woman in the head, causing her to collapse onto the sidewalk.
"When I saw the video, I was floored," said Pitre.
After hitting the woman, the man casually crossed the street. Three others who were only feet away from the woman when she was struck continued walking without attempting to stop her attacker or checking on her wellbeing.
"It's almost like she was trash, just walked by like it was nothing, like she was nothing," said Pitre.
Pitre says employees were on edge after the attack but then came word of an arrest.
Dallas police say 36-year-old Antonio Banks was arrested Monday on an unrelated criminal trespassing complaint on Main Street downtown.
An arrest affidavit says Banks matched the description of the suspect and was wearing the same clothes as the suspect in the surveillance video, including his mismatched shoelaces.
"It's a sense of relief but still concern for Elizabeth," said Pitre. She says Elizabeth remains hospitalized with head injuries but is in good spirits and eager to return to work.
The affidavit says before the attack, several surveillance cameras showed Banks walking behind Elizabeth who didn't know she was being followed.
As Elizabeth waited to cross Field Street, the affidavit says, "Suspect Banks approached her from behind and intentionally swung an unknown, blunt object covered in a red garment," directly at Elizabeth's head.
The object caused her to immediately fall to the ground unconscious resulting in multiple gashes and facial fractures, according to the affidavit.
Co-workers are donating sick time to help Elizabeth, said Pitre.
"We just need to be more kinder to each other. It’s a sad state when an individual is just minding her own business and they get assaulted," said Pitre.
Online records from the Dallas County Jail showed Banks is being held on bonds totaling $150,500 for an aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury charge, an unrelated trespassing charge and a parole violation. It's unclear if Banks has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
