Homeless Man Arrested After Random Attack In Downtown OKC

A group of friends visiting Oklahoma City from San Antonio were attacked by a transient downtown.

The victims said the suspect came out of nowhere, and went after them in broad daylight.

They were some scary moments for visitor Ron Johnson and his two neighbors.

The group was walking near the arena and Cox Convention Center when they said they were randomly attacked.

It was around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ron Johnson, 66, and his two neighbors, An and Dee Lu had been touring downtown Oklahoma City.

“We didn't get to see everything, it cut our visit short,” said Ron Johnson. “We missed a whole day.”

Ron Johnson was the director of a recovery mission shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing.

He said bringing people to Oklahoma City from around the world is something he will do as long as he can.

“I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to die. I thought that was it,” said Johnson.

He said he was almost certain this visit was going to be his last.

“Nothing was said, nothing was done, no gesture, no hint,” said Johnson. “He just came up from behind and was calling her all kinds of bad names, beating on her.”

Police said 32-year-old Ray Perkins, a transient from Idabel started yelling obscenities at An and then attacked her.

“Her sister Dee started pulling him off, and of course, I heard her screaming, and I turned around and joined the effort,” said Johnson.

Once they got Perkins off their friend, Ray, who's legally blind, said he was not going to let him get away.

“When I started trailing him, he turned back to me and knocked me down, got on top of me and started beating me in the face. I continued to yell and scream and ask for help,” said Johnson.

Ron said people began to come over to help, dragged Perkins off of him, and then pinned him down until police arrived.

Ron said this experience will not stop him and his family from coming back to Oklahoma City.

Perkins was arrested for assault and battery, but is now out on bond.