A man suspected of stabbing a homeless woman as she slept in downtown Lafayette remains unidentified, and police are now turning to the public for help tracking him down. The attack happened early Sunday morning near the intersection of Third Street and the southbound Evangeline Thruway.
According to a police report cited by KATC, the suspect was seen walking around downtown Lafayette before he encountered the woman sleeping at that intersection. Investigators say he spent about two hours wandering the area before the stabbing occurred.
Police place the attack at about 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 8. The woman was stabbed multiple times and taken to a hospital, and the suspect ran across the Thruway afterward, investigators said. He was last seen near Second Street and the northbound Thruway; police believe he may be homeless and spend time around the bus station and library, details that could help people recognize him. Police have described the suspect’s movements and last known location.
Police and Crime Stoppers Push for Tips
The Lafayette Police Department is asking the public for help identifying the man suspected in the stabbing, and Lafayette Crime Stoppers has taken up the case as well, seeking the same information from anyone who may recognize him. Crime Stoppers describes its mission as encouraging community members to assist local law enforcement in the fight against crime, according to a post on the organization's Facebook page.
Lafayette Crime Stoppers accepts tips by phone and through its website, and its program says callers can remain anonymous. Tipsters may qualify for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest or a grand jury indictment in a felony case. That gives people who may recognize someone from the downtown area a way to share information without publicly identifying themselves. The local program’s tip and reward rules outline how that process works.
Beyond the police report details relayed by KATC, few other specifics about the case have been made public. The suspect's identity has not been confirmed, and no further update on the investigation has been released.
The case also comes amid a broader local effort to address homelessness. In June, Lafayette Consolidated Government said its estimate was about 400 people experiencing homelessness, including 205 who were unsheltered, while the area had roughly 103 emergency shelter beds and 36 transitional beds. The city described partnerships involving nonprofits, health providers, emergency responders and law enforcement, alongside housing and service grants. Those figures provide context for the city’s response to homelessness, not an explanation for this individual attack. Lafayette’s account of local homelessness and services gives the estimates and describes those initiatives.
What's Still Unknown
It remains unclear whether the woman's condition has been disclosed or whether anyone has come forward with information since police began their search for the suspect. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Lafayette Crime Stoppers or the Lafayette Police Department.
