PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – News4JAX is learning more details about the events that unfolded in Saturday’s triple-stabbing incident in front of a Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant.
According to an arrest warrant from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, 18-year-old Spencer Pearson is now facing two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault.
The report said Pearson had reportedly been harassing the 17-year-old victim for two months.
The teen and her mother were at Mr. Chubby’s Wings on Saturday. According to the report, Pearson was already at the restaurant at a nearby table when they noticed Pearson and tried to avoid him and leave.
Right after attempting to leave the restaurant, the report said, Pearson followed them to the parking lot, where the brutal attack began. The report said Pearson held the teen’s arm and stabbed her at least 15 times.
The teen’s mother also tried to intervene and was stabbed in the leg and forehead, deputies said.
Jimmy Stepp and Kennedy Armstrong, who came to the restaurant after work, stepped in to help the women as they were being attacked. Armstrong was slashed in the hand by Pearson, the report said.
The report stated that Pearson stabbed himself in the throat several times in an attempt to kill himself.
The Sheriff’s Office did not provide an update on the girl’s or her mother’s conditions.
Detectives said they conducted numerous interviews with witnesses and two of the victims and examined the restaurant’s video surveillance.
Alyssa James, who is one of the teen victim’s close friends, started a fundraiser to show support for her friend. She said was in complete shock while driving when she received the news about what happened to Madison, who she said is one of the “sweetest people ever.”
“She always compliments you. She always puts a smile on everyone’s face. She’s just genuinely always a happy person,” James said.
James is selling keychains and t-shirts as a way to show that the community has Madison and her family’s back.
“I am starting a fundraiser of keychains as a massive strong to help fund for her expenses. And they’re about $15. Each $10 will go right to the family, the $5 go back to my neighbor who actually created them,” James said. “Everyone’s willing to do whatever they can for her. We all love her and want to support her as much as we can,” James said.
The t-shirts will say “Madison Strong” on the front and include a verse from Psalm saying, “God is within her, she will not fall. God will help her break of day” on the back.
Madison’s mother released the following statement:
“I would please ask for privacy at this time but ask everyone to pray for my daughter. She is the strongest, most amazing person I know. We owe huge gratitude to that young man Kennedy for saving Madison’s life and to the incredible trauma team, neurosurgeons and hospital staff at Memorial Hospital.”
James said her friend has a spinal cord injury but is doing okay.
To support the purchase of a keychain or t-shirt, you can visit Facebook.com or Instagram.com.
A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help Madison and her mother, who was also severely injured in the attack. It had raised more than $53,000 as of Monday afternoon.