Man who stabbed victim at a Michigan store midday will undergo a mental health examination.
Lenawee County District Judge Jonathan L. Poer indicated he would sign an order to have Alarik John Guajardo, 29, of Adrian, Michigan, undergo a psychiatric exam to determine the extent to which the defendant can be held responsible for a stabbing at a local Meijer. Guajardo stands accused of killing Glen Harold Meyers, 85, of Adrian Township on September 16 in the automotive and sporting goods section of the store, just after noon He has been charged with felony counts of open murder, carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, according to law enforcement officials.
Police were dispatched after multiple reports of the stabbing, indicated an affidavit of probable cause filed by Adrian police with the district court. Lenawee County Central Dispatch told responding officers that the suspect could be wearing a trench coat.
When officers arrived on the scene, Guajardo was lying on the floor on his back and alert. He had a cut on one of his hands and was taken to ProMedica Bixby Hospital for treatment, according to his arrest affidavit. After his wound was treated, the suspect reportedly waived his Miranda rights and told officers that “he entered Meijer with the intent to kill an elderly man and accomplished this goal by stabbing Glen Meyers approximately 15 times.” Guajardo added he used a blade knife, which law enforcement officials found thrown onto a nearby store shelf.
A female shopper with a concealed carrier license witnessed the attack and drew her weapon, pointing it at Guajardo. She ordered him to the ground and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Unfortunately, Meyers died at the scene.
“You really aren’t obligated under Michigan law to do so. It’s wonderful that she did. I think the world of her because there’s a lot of people who would’ve just stood back to be a good witness,” said Wadsworth with Sumpter CCW/CPL Training. “She never had to fire her firearm which was good. The perpetrator complied so basically the mere presence of that firearm and directing it toward him stopped the threat.”
Burke Castleberry, the Lenawee County prosecutor, denied internet rumors that the incident stemmed from with a confrontation about a mask, saying, “This has nothing to do with a mask, to my knowledge, at this point,” Castleberry said. “I don’t think a mask played a part at all.”
In determining the necessity of the mental health exam, Guajardo’s defense attorney, Lenawee County Chief Public Defender John Glaser, told the judge, “There’s serious questions about his competency and criminal responsibility with respect to these issues. The judge agreed with the proposal and moved Guajardo’s trial date to January 21, 2021. If the exam is conducted and the report is made available sooner, proceedings will progress before that date.
Meanwhile, the defendant is being held on a $10,000,000 bond and is facing a possible sentence of life in prison without parole.
Sources:
Mental exam ordered for Michigan man in fatal knife attack at Meijer
Adrian man, 29, jailed in stabbing death of 85-year-old man at Meijer store
Man gets $10M bond in fatal Adrian Meijer stabbing, says he is homeless
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