ATLANTA — Safety is still a concern after a manhunt on the Atlanta Beltline came to an end.
“At night, it can be a little tricky. Even in the daytime there can be a few people that are questionable,” said John Baca.
Baca was jogging in the area Thursday afternoon as police were scouring the beltline for a person they think stabbed a woman and took off on a bicycle.
Moments before the stabbing, police said the same suspect attacked a USPS worker with a rock.
“We believe he picked his victims at random,” said Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The chief said they were alerted to the stabbing around 12:10 pm. They said someone called 911 to report a woman stabbed at the bridge on Montgomery Ferry Dr. NE. It passes over the Ansley Golf Club.
Police said the woman died in the hospital.
“This was a young woman,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
The mayor said the attack grabbed, not just his attention, but the attention of people across the city.
“It happened on the beltline which is a place a lot of people walk and jog. We know that the public wants to be made aware of what’s happening,” said Dickens.
Police searched the beltline with dogs on the ground. They used drones and a helicopter overhead. By 3:00 pm, the chief said it is time to release surveillance camera images of the suspect on the bike.
“Everyone in the city right now, take pause,” said Schierbaum. “We are going to catch this person.”
The pictures circulated fast to joggers and golfers on the beltline. One person told us he recognized the biker.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Empty Waymos invade Atlanta neighborhood, circle cul-de-sac for hours with no passengers
- Atlanta Beltline deadly stabbing suspect captured
- 32 arrested in multi-agency north Georgia forest operation, including 1 cartel member
“He actually chased me and my buddy with a machete one time. We had to hide in, like, an excavator, like a construction worker excavator,” said Eli Lentz.
By 5:30 p.m., two officers on patrol found the suspect on the bike on Peachtree St. in downtown Atlanta.
“You are safe. This individual is in custody, and we will be conducting a thorough review of what happened,” said Dickens.
Police said they currently have the suspect charged with the rock attack and stabbing. If anyone else thinks they have had encounters with the suspect, the chief urges them to call 911.
“Right now, we do not have him connected to any other event. We will look back through every crime reported to us, and if we can make a connection, we will bring charges if we have probable cause,” said Schierbaum.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
