DELAND, Fla. – A 36-year-old transient man from Pierson was arrested Tuesday morning after witnesses told police he choked a juvenile and later threatened an adult with a knife at a Deland intersection, according to an arrest affidavit.
Police said they responded to Clear Lake Drive and North Spring Garden Avenue. around 8:22 a.m. to find a man, identified as Christopher Steven Schwable, lying on the ground, bleeding from the back of his head. Witnesses told police that Schwable had attacked a juvenile moments earlier. Officers reported finding a folding knife underneath Schwable, which was secured as evidence.
Recommended Videos
One witness told officers he saw Schwable choking a juvenile he knew. Fearing for the child’s safety, the witness said he made a U-turn, returned to the intersection and saw the juvenile run away. The witness said Schwable was sitting on a curb when he approached him with a toolbox in hand, unsure whether Schwable was armed.
According to the affidavit, Schwable told the witness he had “stopped that man in his path” before producing a folding knife from his sleeve and holding it up. The witness said he feared for his safety and for his son, who was nearby. He told police he struck Schwable twice with the toolbox and restrained him until officers arrived.
Police said the juvenile victim was visibly distraught and had difficulty recounting the incident. His older brother told officers that Schwable approached the child while brandishing a knife before he grabbed him. The juvenile later told police he had been grabbed by the throat and had a cut on his finger.
Additional witnesses reported seeing Schwable holding a knife and waving it toward others, prompting them to intervene in self-defense, according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Schwable was found face-down in the roadway with blood coming from his head. Officers located the knife beneath him in the open position.
Schwable was taken to Halifax Health in Daytona Beach for treatment.
Officers noted that when advised of his rights, Schwable replied, “You are not taking me to jail,” and refused to speak further.
After being medically cleared, he was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he faces charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault.