Police closed streets near the Kaseya Center before arresting a man accused of stabbing a dog walker.
MIAMI, Fla. — A downtown Miami street shutdown that drew police officers, helicopters and bystanders began with a woman being attacked from behind while walking her dog, authorities said.
The May 19 case unfolded in two public scenes near Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 8th Street. The first was a sudden assault outside a residential tower, where police said a woman was beaten, stabbed and left with serious facial injuries. The second was a drawn-out police standoff near a CVS across from the Kaseya Center, where officers surrounded 49-year-old Raydean Johnson before using Tasers and a tactical shield to take him into custody. Johnson now faces attempted murder and other charges, while the victim, Caitlin Dydzuhn, is recovering from injuries that left her partially blind.
Miami police said the call came during a busy part of the day in an area used by residents, workers, hotel guests and arena visitors. Biscayne Boulevard between Northeast 8th and Northeast 9th streets was closed in both directions to cars and pedestrians. CBS Miami reported that police later reopened the road after the arrest. From above, video showed officers trying to speak with a man near a high-rise building as the investigation continued. Police spokeswoman Kiara Delva said officers were prepared to wait as long as needed to avoid a more dangerous ending. “There are times where officers will remain on scene until it gets dark to make sure of a safe outcome,” Delva said.
Investigators said the crisis began when Dydzuhn walked past Johnson while taking her dog out near MarinaBlue, the condominium tower where she lives. She told reporters she had no time to react. Police said Johnson pushed her from behind, knocked her down, punched her in the head and slammed her face into the pavement. The attack was not described as a robbery, and police said they believe it was random. A witness said Dydzuhn was still with her dog after the assault and was trying to explain that the man had come from behind her. Asher Shafer said the amount of blood on her face made the scene look unreal.
The object first described in some early reports as a pen was later detailed in police records as a homemade weapon. Officers said it was made from a tire pressure gauge with a concrete nail attached to the end and tied to Johnson’s right hand with a shoelace. Police said that weapon was used to stab and slash Dydzuhn. Medical personnel took her to Ryder Trauma Center. Later reports said she suffered a broken left orbital socket, deep cuts to her nose that required stitches and permanent disfigurement. Dydzuhn said in interviews that the most serious injury was to her left eye and that the attack left her visually impaired.
The public nature of the police response made the case visible before many details were known. Sky 10 showed officers around Johnson near the CVS. Chopper 6 footage showed officers speaking with a man outside a nearby building. Cellphone video later showed officers deploying Tasers as Johnson fell and police moved in. Police said he had refused commands to surrender and was ranting and in distress. Delva said officers worked to de-escalate so he would not harm himself or anyone else. The arrest report said Johnson threatened officers, telling them he would stab them as he had stabbed the woman in the eye if they came closer.
Police said Johnson also damaged property during the standoff. Investigators said he engraved “REPENT ALL” and other phrases into a private building wall in the 800 block of Biscayne Boulevard. After about three hours of negotiations, officers said Johnson began advancing toward them while holding the weapon. Tasers were deployed, and a detective used a tactical shield to pin him down. Backup officers then secured Johnson and the weapon. Police said he refused to give his name, and officers later identified him by fingerprint. After medical clearance, he was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital and then into the custody process.
The arrest report added a statement police said Johnson made after the standoff. Authorities said that while he was guarded by an officer at the hospital, he made an unsolicited admission that he had attacked the victim and tried to stab her because “the devil told him to do it.” He was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Local reports list charges that include attempted murder, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, criminal mischief while armed, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence. Local10 reported that he also had several warrant cases tied to a probation violation and other assault or battery-related allegations.
As the criminal case moved into court, Dydzuhn’s account shifted attention back to the front of her building. She said she was on the ground, screaming, while the attack continued. “All of a sudden, I was covered in my own blood and running for my life,” she said. She credited a good Samaritan with fighting off the attacker and helping her get away. Her attorney, Judd Rosen, said Dydzuhn had been “seconds away” from being killed. Rosen has questioned whether MarinaBlue security staff were watching the area outside the tower and whether cameras were blocked by landscaping. He said the building had a duty to protect and warn residents from known threats.
Reports from WSVN and NBC6 said the stations reached out to MarinaBlue or its property management for comment on the security concerns. Those reports said no response had been received at the time of publication. The building security questions are not part of the criminal charges against Johnson, but they could become part of a separate civil case. Dydzuhn’s interviews also raised the human cost of the attack beyond the street closure and arrest. She said she still has pain, fear and memories of being pinned down outside the place she called home. “After being brutally attacked right outside my own building, it’s hard to imagine,” she said.
Currently, Johnson remains jailed while Dydzuhn continued recovering from surgery and partial blindness. The street has reopened, but the case remains active in Miami-Dade court and could be followed by civil claims over security at the condo.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.