by Witnesses said a 17-year-old girl was stabbed more than a dozen times along with her mother and another patron before the suspect began cutting “steadily”. own throats, according to the newly released arrest warrant.
The sheriff’s office said warrants for two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon had been served on the hospitalized suspect, 18-year-old Spencer Ross Pearson.
The family identified the daughter and mother as Madison Schemitz and Jaclyn “Jacki” Roge, 43, of Ponte Vedra Beach. Schemitz had broken up with Pearson a few months ago.
According to the warrant, Pearson began following and harassing her in April. On Saturday, she and her mother met some friends at Mr. Chubby’s Wings at 150 Valley Circle and saw Pearson sitting at another table.
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So they started to leave to avoid him. Within 20 seconds, Pearson was seen charging toward them as they approached their vehicle, according to the arrest document. One of the victims told investigators that the attacker held the girl with one arm and stabbed her about 15 times. Her mother tried to stop him and was stabbed in the forearm and leg.
Then the bystander jumped in to get him off the girl. The bystander also suffered stab wounds. “After being expelled, the defendant slit his own throat several times to tell witnesses that he was attempting suicide,” the warrant said. All four were hospitalized.
Who are Madison Schemitz, Jacki Roge and Spencer Pearson?
The Times-Union archives include a photo of Pearson playing defensive back for the Ponte Vedra High School football team, which is also posted on his Facebook page.
A GoFundMe for Roge and her family says Schemitz is an up and coming senior at Ponte Vedra High and a softball player, which can also be seen in her Facebook photo. Both of their Facebooks show them together as a couple until Christmas Eve 2022.
Tatiana Cruceta, Schemitz’s oldest sister who lives in New York, told First Coast News that while she couldn’t feel her legs due to spinal injuries, the family is confident she will recover.
“Madison is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, she’s always smiling, always,” Cruceta said. “So as soon as I picked up the phone — we all call her ‘Sass,’ that’s her nickname — so I said, ‘How are you? Sass, how are you feeling?’ And she says, “Oh just dandy.” So she joked and tried to be strong.
She said she doesn’t know the details but was aware of some issues between her sister and Pearson after their relationship ended.
“He threatened her safety,” Cruceta said. “My mom wanted to get a restraining order against him, so this was definitely premeditated. This was definitely something he was planning.”
She said her mother also suffered some cuts to the face and thigh, but she is recovering. A GoFundMe update says, “I’m about to have surgery, my muscles were separated from the bone of my hand. Madison has two chest tubes and a spinal cord injury, but she’s a fighter, please keep praying for her.”
Who Were the Good Samaritans?
Armstrong Kennedy told Times-Union news affiliate First Coast News that he had arrived at Mr. Chubby’s wings and heard people screaming in the parking lot. He saw a man stab two women so he sprang into action. He said it was all a blur, but he just wanted to get the man off them.
He only knew after everything broke up that he was injured when he saw his pants were covered in blood. His right hand was badly cut, damaging an artery and several ligaments.
Jimmy Stepp told WJXT TV-4 that he had joined Armstrong at the restaurant for a bite to eat after work when it happened in the parking lot. He said his friend “is the hero in this whole thing. He tackled the gentleman and got a cut on his hand.”
But Armstrong credited Stepp with helping him stop the attack.
“Shout out to him big time,” Armstrong told WJXT and also told First Coast News, “You see two girls in trouble get assaulted by a man, I hope most people would do the same. Kudos to the mom , I think she’s the real reason that girl is still alive.”
Roge released the following statement, according to WJXT:
“I would ask for privacy at this time, but ask everyone to pray for my daughter. She is the strongest, most amazing person I know. We are immensely grateful to that young man Kennedy for saving Madison’s life and the incredible trauma team, neurosurgeons and hospital staff at Memorial Hospital.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Girl, mother stabbed at sports bar Ponte Vedra; ex boyfriend slit throat
