The victim said the attacker was a stranger who demanded cigarettes and ran.
DALLAS — A Dallas man who said a stranger slashed his throat during a daytime encounter near a South Dallas gas station is recovering from surgery as police search for the attacker and a local nonprofit helps the victim line up medical care and housing support.
The victim, 33-year-old Joseph Womack, said he nearly died after the assault Monday afternoon near Corinth Street and South Cesar Chavez Boulevard. He survived emergency surgery, received a blood transfusion, and was released from the hospital with stitches and a drain as the wound heals. Dallas police have not announced an arrest or released a suspect description, leaving investigators dependent on tips, possible video, and witness accounts to identify the person Womack said attacked him without warning.
Womack said he was walking to a Shamrock gas station to buy a soda when the man approached him and demanded cigarettes. Womack said he told the stranger he did not have any and tried to end the interaction. He said the man then grabbed his shoulder, pulled out a knife, cut his throat, and ran away. Womack described the weapon as a knife with a blade about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. The attack unfolded quickly, he said, and the suspect disappeared before anyone could stop him.
Womack said he stumbled into the gas station and collapsed, losing blood so fast that he believed he would die on the floor. He described a pool of blood forming within minutes, spreading wider than his body under his feet. First responders took him to a hospital for emergency surgery, and Womack said doctors also gave him a transfusion. He said he later left the hospital with about a dozen stitches and must wear a drain as the injury closes, a sign of how severe the cut was and how long recovery may take.
Police have not said whether officers recovered a weapon, whether the suspect left behind fingerprints, or whether anyone saw the attacker long enough to provide a reliable description. They also have not said if surveillance cameras at the gas station or along the nearby streets captured the suspect’s face, clothing, or direction of travel. Investigators have not described the case as a robbery, and officials have not said whether the suspect tried to take anything beyond demanding cigarettes, which can be difficult to untangle when the only known exchange lasts seconds.
The area around major intersections and fuel stops can create challenges for investigators, even when cameras exist. People may look away during a short argument, and drivers may notice only movement, not faces. At the same time, businesses that operate all day often have multiple camera angles, and detectives can compare footage from nearby locations to track a suspect from one corner to the next. Police have not said what evidence they have collected so far or whether they have identified persons of interest.
Womack’s recovery has been shaped not only by the wound but also by where he was living before it happened. He said he was unhoused, staying on the streets and sometimes in shelters. That can complicate follow-up care after a major injury, including keeping appointments, getting medication refills, and finding a safe place to rest. In the days after he left the hospital, Womack connected with Our Calling Ministries, a Dallas nonprofit that works directly with people living outdoors and in temporary shelter.
Maria Mills, a representative of Our Calling Ministries, said Womack is one of the organization’s clients and is now paired with a care minister working to secure follow-up medical care and help him move toward permanent housing. Mills said the public often assumes people remain on the streets by choice. “I think there’s this idea that people don’t want to get off the streets and that’s not true,” Mills said. She said the organization’s goal is to move people into stable housing, and Womack had been close to placement before the assault disrupted those plans.
Womack said he is still very weak and can barely walk, but he decided to speak publicly because he believes attention could help identify the attacker. He said he hopes someone recognizes the person who approached him or recalls a similar encounter nearby. “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 asked anyone with information to contact the Dallas Police Department.
As of Sunday, Dallas police had not released new details about the suspect, and no hearing or court date had been announced because no one has been charged publicly. The next milestone will be any police update naming a suspect, releasing a description, or asking for help identifying a person seen near the gas station around the time of the assault.
Author note: Last updated February 15, 2026.