Woman dies after random METRORail stabbing southeast Houston, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 28-year-old woman died after being stabbed on a METRORail in southeast Houston. Police are now looking for her alleged attacker, Christopher Washington, who has already been convicted of stabbing somebody else in a METRO vehicle.

Police said the purple line was stopped at the busy Palm Center Station when two passengers - a woman and a man - started arguing at about 6:35 p.m. Saturday. Seconds later, the man used a knife to stab the woman and ran away, police said.

The train operator then called the police.

"We made sure we got the victim to the hospital. The suspect had left the scene," Chief Vera Bumpers said. "Arguments can escalate quickly, which is why it's so important to really pay attention to your surroundings and be focused, because sometimes anything can trigger a person."

Bumpers said the victim, whose family identified her as Alexis Jarrell, and the suspect didn't know each other before the stabbing.

Jarrell's family told ABC13 she had recently moved to Houston. The 28-year-old was a cook but took an administrative secretary job and moved with no family or friends in town. Her family adds that they are starting the organ donation process.

Jarrell's case is not the only one Washington has been involved in.

Washington also served three years in prison for another stabbing that METRO police investigated in 2019.

According to court documents, he was released in July, then arrested again in August for allegedly assaulting a woman. He has missed multiple court hearings, but his bond was reissued.

Washington is currently out on bond.

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