A pre-dawn fight in downtown San Marcos turned chaotic when one person was stabbed, and another took off in a stranger’s idling car, only to crash into a utility pole across from City Hall. The collision briefly cut power to the downtown square and left the injured person in critical condition.
According to the San Marcos Record, city spokesperson Russell Wilde said the fight broke out at about 4:20 a.m. near Sean Patrick's. Police say 45-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Jr. stayed at the scene and was arrested on an aggravated-assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charge. The Record also reports that Rodriguez works as a contractor for EPSI and had been downtown emptying trash cans at the time.
Downtown Incidents Have Drawn Extra Patrols
The violence adds to a string of troubling overnight incidents downtown that have already put San Marcos police on alert. As multiple shootings that prompted stepped-up patrols in the square were detailed in November, officers have been responding to serious crimes in the area even before this latest case.
Crash Cut Power, Victim Taken To Hospital
The San Marcos Record reports that after being stabbed, the wounded person climbed into an idling vehicle that did not belong to him, drove down Hopkins, and hit a pole across from City Hall. The impact knocked out power to more than 2,000 customers in the area. Officers later found the injured driver near the H-E-B on Hopkins, and he was taken to Seton in critical condition. Police say the investigation is still in its early stages.
Police Response And Next Steps
San Marcos police are investigating the fight, the stabbing, and the subsequent crash, and have not released additional details as detectives continue interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators to help piece together what led to the early-morning violence in the square.
