Florida teen stabs girl 15 times, 'charges' mom outside restaurant in violent attack: affidavit

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida teen is accused of attacking a 17-year-old girl – allegedly stabbing her 15 times – and her mother outside a restaurant in St. Johns County, according to authorities.

Officials said the alleged attack happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Mr. Chubby's Wings in Ponte Vedra Beach. Deputies received several 911 calls reporting several people had been stabbed in the parking lot. The suspect also "began ‘steadily’ cutting his own throat in an effort to kill himself," according to an affidavit from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. 

When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered three people with stab wounds, one of which had life-threatening injuries. Pearson was reportedly found nearby with "self-inflicted life-threatening injuries to his throat." The suspect and three victims were transported to local hospitals, the affidavit states. 

One of those victims was Madison Schemitz, a rising senior and softball player at Ponte Vedra High School, according to FOX 30 Action News Jax. She remains in the hospital in critical condition with a spinal cord injury and is currently paralyzed, her family told First Coast News.

Her mother, Jacki Roge, underwent surgery earlier this week, while the third victim, a bystander named Kennedy Armstrong, was released from the hospital Sunday after he attempted to stop the suspect. The victims' prognoses remains unknown, per the arrest warrant. 

The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Spencer Pearson, was served with an arrest warrant Monday, but remains hospitalized following the alleged incident. He has not been booked into jail yet, but faces several charges, including aggravated battery and two counts of attempted murder. Pearson was also ordered to not have any contact with any of the victims. 

Pearson and Schemitz reportedly have a history, as the two used to date, but ended their relationship a few months ago, according to local news reports. In April, Pearson began to harass and follow her, the arrest warrant states. 

The day of the alleged incident, Schemitz and her mother met their friends at Mr. Chubby's Wings and noticed Pearson was at a table nearby. The mother-daughter duo left the restaurant to avoid contact with him, but Pearson was seen "charging" toward them on the way to their car just half-a-minute later.

One of the victims said Pearson held Schemitz with one arm and stabbed her about 15 times, according to the affidavit. A witness ran over to try and get the suspect off her, but he was also stabbed. Pearson then reportedly sliced his own throat several times in attempt to kill himself in the parking lot, he told witnesses. 

A pair of GoFundMe fundraisers were created by family friends to help her family get through this "horrific time." All donations will go toward medical and other expenses, according to the fundraiser's description. One GoFundMe has raised nearly $39,000, while the other is a few hundred dollars away from its $100,000 goal.