Austin police: Man attempts attack on woman, stabs security officer

Austin police arrest a man for attempting to attack a woman in a Downtown Austin parking garage then stabbing a security officer who tried to detain him.

Last Thursday, a Whole Foods employee went to her car, parked inside a garage in the 700 block of North Lamar. She says a man, who police have identified as 24-year-old Ivan Villegas, approached her.

"He grabs my arm and tells me to get in the back of the car with him. That's when I turned around, realized it was a stranger, and I just kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach and where ever and that's when he re-treated," she said.

She screamed for help. It caught the attention of two security officers who saw Villegas and stopped him.

"He said he was helping to respond to the woman screaming. They talked to him for a while. They were pretty sure that was not what was going on," said John Jeter of Tri Shield Security and Investigations.

The victim, meanwhile, had alerted a store manager nearby who then told the security officers what really happened.

"He tried to flee and the officers grabbed him and held him down and he pulled a weapon on them," said Jeter.

One of his officers was stabbed in the calf.

Villegas took the officer's two way radio and ran. Austin police were able to catch him at 9th and Nueces which is three blocks away.

Villegas is now in the Travis County Jail charged with attempted robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.

Jeter says his officer will soon return to work. He commends the woman for her quick thinking.

"I went home and told my significant other, this is how you respond. Don't be a victim. Don't go quietly. Make a scene. Make it difficult. She did. She did an amazing job," said Jeter.

"I'm trying to tell all my female friends and co-workers don't be on your phone when you go to your car, be alert. Even in the day and you know I think self-defense classes for everyone is a good idea," the victim said.

Villegas has a $110-thousand dollar bond. The woman tells FOX 7 officers are still exploring the possibility of a sex crimes charge.