Police: Elderly Texas Man Thrown Down Escalator After Accidentally Walking into Dressing Room

An 81-year-old Texas man was thrown down an escalator after accidentally walking in on a woman in a department store dressing room, police said.

The elderly victim was shopping at San Antonio’s North Star Mall on January 27 when he stopped by Dillard’s to try on a sweater, KENS5 reported.

San Antonio Police Department Detective Rodney Franklin told KSAT that the man had opened the door to a dressing room without knowing a woman was already in there. He then quickly closed the door, the detective said on February 15. 

“They yelled that it was a female changing room. He yelled back, ‘No, it’s a handicapped changing room,’” Franklin added.

The woman in the dressing room then reportedly told her mom what happened, and the violent incident took place just minutes later. 

Security camera footage from Dillard’s shows the 81-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, being grabbed and pulled backward by another man while heading up an escalator.

The elderly victim was sent tumbling down the steps as they continued to move up underneath him, the video shows.

ARRESTED 🚨 | An arrest has been made after surveillance video captured two individuals viciously assaulting an elderly man on an escalator in the Dillard's store at North Star Mall.

READ MORE: https://t.co/QFJbWYXK7j pic.twitter.com/nWQdYXXqVy

— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) May 9, 2024

The victim sustained lacerations on his head, a broken finger, and bruising on his ribs and legs, the local outlet reported.

Police say the perpetrator was 31-year-old Daymein Garcia, who was arrested Monday and charged with causing serious bodily injury to the elderly.

Garcia is currently at Travis County Jail waiting to be extradited to Bexar County Jail, police said.