The man charged with stabbing and robbing a woman in Charles Village recently was accused of attacking a shoe store manager four years ago but was released after being found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder, court records show.
After his arrest in February 2003, George T. Dyson underwent months of psychiatric treatment and evaluations, with one doctor describing him as "dangerous to others." But court records say the man's mental health improved enough for doctors to revise their opinion of his mental state, and they recommended his release from inpatient treatment three years ago.
On May 27, Dyson, 48, was arrested again - and charged in a more serious attack. Police allege the man confronted a woman carrying grocery bags and tried to rob her on the grounds of an elementary school in the 2600 block of St. Paul St. Using two steak knives that had been tied together, he stabbed the woman several times, grabbed her purse and ran from the bloody scene, according to police charging documents.
Two witnesses caught and held the man until police arrested him and charged him with attempted murder.
The victim, Karen Harris, 57, who lives nearby in the Harwood neighborhood, was treated for serious injuries at Johns Hopkins Hospital and was released Wednesday, a hospital spokesman said. She could not be reached for comment.
Margaret T. Burns, a spokeswoman for the city state's attorney's office, said it is rare that a person on "conditional release" from a psychiatric institution violates the conditions of the program, such as by committing another crime or failing to comply with rules. She said it happens no more than about 20 times a year.
"In a sense, these are very infrequent, in terms of the overall Circuit Court criminal caseload," Burns said. The city Circuit Court system handles about 10,000 cases a year, she said.
Susan Steinberg, deputy director of community programs and managed care for the state Mental Hygiene Administration, said less than 2 percent of former patients - a dozen or fewer people - are arrested each year for crimes, usually misdemeanors, and their conditions are re-evaluated.
"Our monitoring system does work," Steinberg said. "We take great pride in the fact that the rearrest of people on conditional release is really low. Our goal is, if someone is deteriorating, to get them help."
