SAN ANTONIO — Officers are searching for the suspects responsible for seriously injuring an 81-year-old man when they threw him down an escalator at North Star Mall—as well as investigating what happened before the assault caught on video.
San Antonio Police say that man was riding an escalator at Dillard's on Jan. 27 when the suspects approached from behind. One of them is next seen throwing him down the metal escalator steps.
The man's head impacted the steps, police said, leaving an imprint of the metal grate stairs and causing severe injuries to his body, including internal bleeding.
The female suspect stood over the man after he was thrown down. Neither of the suspects helped the man, and instead immediately fled from the location.
Police said Tuesday the victim was recovering at home as they continue to investigate the violent Dillard's encounter.
On Thursday, meanwhile, authorities said the assault may have been preceded by an incident in a dressing room at that very same store. According to San Antonio police, the man who was assaulted went to try on a sweater in a dressing room he thought was empty.
"(But) when he pushed open the door, (he) realized someone was in there (and) they slammed the door shut," an SAPD spokesperson said. "At that point, between the person inside and him. They yelled that it's a female dressing room; he yelled back, 'No, it is a handicap changing room.'"
Police say it was a girl inside that dressing room who then found her mother and told her what happened. The mother tracked the man down, and then the assault on the escalator unfolded.
"If something happened in that changing room, I need to know what happened," officials said, adding that there was a witness who heard what happened but they wouldn't go into detailed about what was said.
They're continuing to ask that anyone with information comes forward by calling the SAPD Homicide Unit at (210) 207-7635 or Detective Rodney Franklin at (210) 207-2790.
"This assault was very nasty, very egregious," SAPD said. "It should make everybody have this pretty nasty feeling in their stomach. So when you look at this video, think about your own grandparents and think about how you feel about that."
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