Enid Carhop Stabbed In January Speaks About Experience, Recovery

An Enid carhop is speaking out about his recovery months after he was stabbed while trying to prevent a robbery. 

The incident happened in January. Zain Dexter said he was taking out the trash while working at Sonic. Suddenly, he heard a co-worker yell that she was being robbed.

"At first, I didn't see the knife," Dexter said. "The first thing that came into my mind is his hands were where her wallet is. I have to stop him."

Once the man saw Dexter, he started running away. Dexter chased after him.

"My first thing that hit into my head was I should go check on her," Dexter said. "But then the second thing, if I go check on her, then the guy will be halfway down the street."

Dexter continued chasing him through a neighborhood behind the restaurant.

"If I got close enough to him, I could hold him down, so that when police cars did get around, they could see who the dude was and take him away,” Dexter said.

When Dexter tried to tackle him to the ground, the suspect swung and stabbed Dexter on the left side of his chest.

"I was kind of frozen in fear," Dexter said. "I didn't know what was going on."

He then made his way back to the Sonic, waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

"Told them that I might have gotten stabbed,” Dexter said. “He (first responder) instantly unzipped my jacket and checked. There was a stab wound.”

Dexter was transported to OU Medical Center. X-ray’s showed that the knife had cut through his spleen. He was hospitalized for a week.

The suspect has not been identified. Police said surveillance footage caught him leaving in a dark-colored SUV.

Since the encounter, Dexter said he's taken things slow so far. He expects to return to work within the next few days.