The man stabbed to death by a stranger on H Street NE last week was attacked after he bumped a child on board a crowded bus and then argued with her mother and others, witnesses said.
Eric Lee Smith, 44, was stabbed on the 800 block of H Street NE about 3:45 August 10 after an incident on board an X2 bus, multiple witnesses told police, according to court documents.
Smith was exiting the bus when a bag he was carrying hit a little girl, witnesses said. The child's mother, another woman and the child got off the bus and started arguing with Smith.
"You could've said 'excuse me,'" the woman said, according to witnesses.
"B----, you didn't give me time," Smith replied, witnesses said.
A man then intervened and told Smith not to disrespect the women, and the men began to fight. During the melee, another man approached them with a knife. Smith backed into traffic on H Street NE and was hit by a car, witnesses said. The man with the knife stabbed Smith as he tried to recover from being hit, witnesses said, noting they asked the attacker to stop.
The attacker then walked away, fleeing eastbound on H Street.
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Smith was pronounced dead about 4:15 p.m. He was stabbed in the heart, an autopsy revealed.
Hector L. Felix, 57, was arrested about 1 p.m. Friday at his home in Northwest D.C., Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference Friday.
Felix was identified with the help of multiple witnesses and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
He has previous arrests for assault, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin and car theft.
