by The man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend, her mother and a Good Samaritan before slitting his own throat outside a Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant made his first court appearance Saturday morning.
Spencer Ross Pearson, 18, is still incarcerated on charges of two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office detainee records show.
Pearson is accused of stabbing Madison Schemitz, her mother, Jacki Rogé, and Kennedy Armstrong, who intervened in the June 3 attack outside Mr. Chubby’s Wings, 150 Valley Circle.
He was incarcerated at the St. Johns County Jail on Friday after being hospitalized in the incident with self-inflicted injuries.
Other than talking briefly and calmly with his attorney, Pearson said nothing during the first hearing. A white bandage around his neck hid what a police photo showed as noticeable stitches to his injuries, videotaped by First Coast News, the Times-Union news affiliate showed.
SJSO: Suspect who stabbed Florida girl, slit own throat, locked up in St. John’s jail
Ponte Vedra stab case: 17-Year-Old Florida Girl Stabbed 15 Times Before Attacker Slits Herself What we know
Deposit: Girl stabbed 15 times in restaurant Ponte Vedra before suspect slit his throat
No changes were made to his previous no-bond status for the two counts of attempted murder. But Pearson has a $100,000 bond on a heavy battery.
The judge issued three no-contact orders against Pearson for all three victims: Schemitz, Roge and Armstrong.
Pearson is not allowed to come within 450 meters of the place of work or residence of the mother and daughter. The same goes for Armstrong, where he can’t get within 500 feet. In addition, Pearson is not allowed to own any firearms.
The Prosecutor’s Office requested and was granted a restricted entry to Pearson for Mr. Chubby’s Wings, the restaurant where the stabbing took place.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that Pearson is being held in special housing due to the risk of self-harm. He has access to mental health professionals who will meet with him.
Police records show that Pearson had been tracking one of the victims – identified as Schemitz – since March 2023. Schemitz’s sister, Tatiana Cruceta, told First Coast News in a statement earlier this month that the two had a previous relationship.
“I don’t know all the details, but I do know that there were some issues in the past after they broke up, where he threatened her safety,” Cruceta said. “My mom was seeking a restraining order against him, so this was definitely premeditated. This was definitely something he was planning.”
On June 3, Schemitz was with her mother and some friends at Mr. Chubby’s Wings when Pearson came in.
Casey Estep, who was eating dinner with Schemitz and her mother at the restaurant shortly before the stabbing, told First Coast News that when Schemitz and her mother saw Pearson, “They were like, ‘Oh, we have to go.'”
Estep said they asked for the check and quietly tried to leave, but before she finished paying, Pearson ran to Schemitz and her mother.
The warrant states that shortly after leaving the restaurant, Pearson assaulted Schemitz and began stabbing her 15 times.
According to the family, Schemitz suffered damage to her spinal cord in the attack and is currently paralyzed. Records also show that her mother, Rogé, was stabbed twice, in the forehead and leg. Armstrong suffered severe lacerations to his right hand.
Times-Union staff writer Teresa Stepzinski contributed to this report. Read the original article from First Coast News here.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Judge does not keep bail order for triple stabbing suspect in Ponte Vedra
