HOUSTON — Tayla Smith said that while she feels lucky to be alive to tell her story, she's still concerned that the man who once tried to kill her could try to hurt her again.
She's not from Houston but moved here about three years ago and immersed herself in work. She didn't have time to make friends, and without family around, she got bored.
She said she made a profile on a dating app and matched with 24-year-old Kordel Roshon Stewart. Authorities said he's a Galveston County resident who was working as a cook at a Sonic Drive-In. He also has two children.
Things moved pretty quickly and they set up a date after about five days of texting each other.
Smith invited him over after work one day. She cooked and they watched a movie all while they were getting to know each other better.
Around 10 p.m. that night, she said they laid down to watch another movie and she started to doze off when she heard him say something about the bathroom. She said he got up and went to the bathroom but she didn't hear the toilet flush or the water running from the sink, which was odd.
When he came back to the bed, Smith said things started getting intimate and then took a dangerous turn. She said he stopped kissing her, covered her mouth and slit her throat.
WARNING: The photos below were shared by Smith and are graphic.
That's when she said adrenaline kicked in.
She said she started screaming for help, which caught Stewart off-guard. She said she started fighting back and when he tried to stab her with the knife again, she grabbed it and it lodged into her hand. She said he kept beating her as she tried to get away.
She said she got to the front door and tried to get outside, but he grabbed her and slammed her into the ground. She said she was nearly unconscious but was able to keep her wits about her.
Smith said Stewart locked the door and came back to attack her again. She was able to fight him off and finally get outside. She said she was naked while she knocked on her neighbors' doors trying to get help.
One of her neighbors came out and told her that he called the police when he heard the screaming. While they were outside, the neighbor saw Stewart run across the street.
That was right before the police showed up.
Stewart was caught and arrested a short time later, but since he had injuries, too, he told authorities that Smith stabbed him first. The story didn't hold up and he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $125,000. He's due back in court early next year.
Smith said she worries about her safety because Stewart threatened witnesses in previous cases against him.