INDIANAPOLIS — A violent trend in downtown Indianapolis is now linked to a single suspect.
Police arrested Victor Alvin Johnson for attacking four different women in Indianapolis.
On Thursday, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears charged Johnson with 22 counts including Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape, Criminal Confinement, Attempted Kidnapping and Attempted Sexual Battery.
“You think you’re watching your back. I think most of us think we’re watching our back, but how do you know?” asked Rachel Hedges as she enjoyed the sunshine Wednesday in front of the fountain at Veterans Memorial Plaza.
At first, Hedges was unaware that just last Thursday three women say a man with a knife threatened them and then punched and kicked them.
“It’s just something you could never expect,” said Hedges.
That might be how a mother and her 21-year-old daughter felt when police say Johnson walked up to them around 1:30 in the afternoon as they sat on a park bench near the fountain in that same park.
According to court documents, Johnson asked the women for a hug and pulled out a steak knife, telling the women he’d just stabbed three people, before sitting down on the park bench between them.
Police say when the woman tried to leave, Johnson followed, cursing at them. Then, according to the women, he attacked a third woman sleeping nearby on a blanket, kicking and punching her before doing the same to the mom and daughter.
The women told investigators after Johnson attacked them, he headed toward the Central Library.
Court documents show not 30 minutes later, Johnson stabbed a woman jogging on the Cultural Trail, just a few blocks from Veterans Memorial Plaza.
Police say that woman was stabbed in the neck, but is now in stable condition.
Witnesses chased Johnson after the attack on the trail and held him until police got there.
“I run almost every morning on the Cultural Trail downtown,” said Hedges, saying she didn’t run Wednesday because she had heard about the stabbing.
“It does give me some anxiety, but at the same time, it sounds like a very odd thing to happen,” she said.
Court records show this isn’t Johnson’s first arrest.
Last August, he was sentenced to a year in prison for criminal trespass, but he only served two days. Then in November, he was convicted of battery and was sentenced to six months, but only served three days, plus probation.
Just this year in February, Johnson was arrested again for criminal trespassing and the case is still pending. Records show he was held for seven days after that arrest before he was released again.
Four months later, Johnson is now charged with attacking four different women.
For Hedges, it’s a heads up to always be aware.
“I think we have to constantly be aware of our environment and constantly aware of the people around us, but not so afraid that we’re paralyzed,” she said.