Tourist stabbed with hypodermic needle after refusing money to homeless man, police say

By KELLY DOTY

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Police say a homeless man faces an assault charge after a tourist was stabbed in the back with a hypodermic needle.

Asheville police say the incident happened on May 31, 2024, in the 30 block of Biltmore Avenue.

The victim told police that Julien Bryan McArthur approached him and his family while they were walking and asked for money. The victim, who was visiting from South Carolina, said he refused and continued walking.

Minutes later, the victim said he was helping his family get into their car.

“He suddenly felt like a prick or a sting in his back and turned around and saw the same man that had been asking him for money,” Detective Nathan Dietiker said.

The victim went to Mission Hospital and they confirmed that he was in fact stabbed with a hypodermic needle. He’s since been released and remains on antibiotics, according to authorities.

While Deitiker said that incidents like this do not happen often, they are very familiar with McArthur.

“Several, several times for years downtown, there’s an array of crimes that have been committed by him,” he said.

Deitiker said that he knows this incident can add an unnerving aspect for those visiting downtown.

“You know we do have a lot of folks on the street asking for money and it is kind of unnerving for someone not to get that money and then be attacked especially like that,” he said.

Those walking around downtown on Tuesday echoed that response.

“I think it’s sad and it sounds like he has mental health issues,” said one woman named Amazon Pam.

“That’s scary, it scares off the tourists, doesn’t it? When you hear something like that,” said one man named Ernest Williams.

Deitiker said that if you ever find yourself in a situation where someone is aggressively asking you for money, you should always call the police.

“Let us know that’s there and that’s going on because a lot of times we don’t know it’s happening and we can go and we can take care of that issue,” he said.

McArthur was arrested on June 17 and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to inflict serious injury, resisting a public officer and solicitor ALMS/beg for money. He’s currently in the Buncombe County Detention Center under a $51,000 secured bond.

“There’s a lot of different people that are out on the streets that are totally fine, I interact with them all the time, good people, it’s just certain situations like this where someone makes a terrible decision,” he said.

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