SAN ANTONIO – It was broad daylight on May 6 of last year when San Antonio police say a 20-year old transgender woman was killed at a Northwest Side barbershop.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, officers say 42-year old Damion Campbell walked inside a Diesel barbershop on Bandera Road near Loop 1604.
According to an arrest affidavit, three staff members were inside the shop, preparing to reopen after being shut down due to the pandemic.
Details from the affidavit reveal that Campbell walked in to ask about making an appointment. He told staff he had to go outside to get a credit card, but came back with a backpack, gun and knife.
That’s when witnesses told police Campbell ordered the workers to the back of the shop, choked Helle Jae O’Regan until she was unconscious, then stabbed her to death.
Investigators say a second employee was also stabbed, but she was able to escape and call for help while a third worker escaped through a back door uninjured.
The affidavit said police were able to identify Campbell using computer records and surveillance video.
He was taken into custody just a few days later on a murder charge.
Investigators say they have yet to figure out why the attack happened. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the brutal attack appeared to be random.
Campbell’s next court hearing is scheduled for September 10.