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Good Samaritan stops knife attack on boy at Florida school bus stop
A 36-year-old man was arrested after authorities say he attacked a 13-year-old boy waiting for a school bus in DeLand, Florida, an assault that was stopped by a passerby armed with a toolbox.
DELAND, Fla. - A man who had been released from jail just days earlier is back in custody after police say he attacked a child with a knife at a DeLand school bus stop. Witnesses intervened, restraining the suspect until officers arrived, authorities said.
Christopher Steven Schwable, 36, of Pierson, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault after the reported knife attack that allegedly occurred on Tuesday morning. Schwable is currently homeless, officials confirmed.
What we know:
Schwable was taken into custody after police say he choked a young boy, 13, and threatened others with a knife at the intersection of Clear Lake Dr. and North Spring Garden Ave.
The boy is a seventh grade student at Southwestern Middle, a spokesperson with Volusia County schools confirmed.
Christopher Steven Schwable, 36, of Pierson, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault.
DeLand Police officers responded to the reported possible stabbing, finding a man – later identified as Schwable – on the ground with a head injury and bleeding.
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A witness was holding Schwable down when officers arrived. The witness told police he was driving when he saw Schwable choking the boy and feared the boy was in immediate danger. The witness made a U-turn to intervene. Not knowing if Schwabel was armed, the witness grabbed his toolbox.
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Man arrested after alleged attack on child at DeLand bus stop
A man accused of attacking a child at a school bus stop in DeLand was arrested after a passerby intervened and restrained him, police said.
When the witness asked Schwable what he was doing, Schwable responded saying, he "stopped that man in his path," the witness told police.
The witness said he hit Schwable twice with his toolbox in self-defense when Schwable held up a large knife.
Body camera footage shows a bloodied Christopher Schwable on the ground. [Credit: DeLand Police]
Schwable complied with police as they located a green-and-black folding knife from his pocket and secured it as evidence, police said.
Who was hurt?
"This guy was choking him," the bystander told police about the boy.
Investigators said a boy was waiting at a school bus stop with his brother when Schwable walked up to the boy, pulled out a knife and grabbed him.
When asked if Schwable hit the boy, the boy responded, "He tried hitting me and punching me a bunch," released body camera footage showed.
A 13-year-old boy told officers he was attacked by a man who was wielding a knife and tried to choke him. [Credit: DeLand Police]
An officer pointed to the boy's forehead and asked, "How'd you get this right here? Did he try to hit you or did he successfully hit you?"
"Yeah," the boy said.
When asked if Schwable hit the boy with his fists, the boy nodded. He gestured to being hit in the chest and arms.
He wasn't able to explain more due to being distraught, police said. The boy's brother helped provide information to police.
Two additional witnesses provided sworn statements that corroborated the victims’ accounts, according to police.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not said whether Schwable had any prior connection to the victims. It is also unclear what led up to the encounter or whether Schwable was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.
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Police said Schwable was advised of his rights and declined to speak with investigators.
Volusia County Schools responds
In a statement to FOX 35, a spokesperson said they're working to increase the monitoring of school bus stops throughout the community.
"Student safety is our top priority," a released statement said. "Although this incident occurred off campus, we are working closely with law enforcement and local municipalities to increase monitoring at bus stops throughout our community."
"We encourage families to remind students about personal safety awareness and to report any concerns to school administration or law enforcement immediately," the statement continued.
The backstory:
According to jail records, Schwable was arrested last month on charges of indecent exposure and possession of drug paraphernalia. He spent more than three weeks in jail before his release earlier this month on Jan. 13. Those prior charges are not connected to Tuesday’s incident, police said.
Court documents reveal that those charges were dropped by prosecutors last week.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the DeLand Police Department.