A homeless Florida man allegedly attacking a teenager was beaten in the face with a toolbox by a Good Samaritan before police arrived and took him into custody.
Christopher Steven Schwable, 36, of Pierson was restrained by bystanders when he choked and beat a 13-year-old at a school bus stop in DeLand on Tuesday morning.
The man had been in jail for just over three weeks on charges of indecent exposure and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police said they responded to a call about a possible stabbing at the intersection of Clear Lake Dr. and North Spring Garden Ave. when they saw Schwable being held down by another man.
The man said that he hit Schwable with his toolbox after driving by the bus stop and seeing him attacking the child. He said that the man threatened him with a knife, so he hit him twice.
Schwable had a head injury and was bleeding.
Police bodycam footage showed their interaction with the boy, who said that Schwable had pulled out a knife, grabbed him, and hit him. Two witnesses corroborated the boy’s account, according to police.
In addition to the witnesses’ corroboration, police said they found a green-and-black folding knife in the man’s pocket and confiscated it as evidence.
WOFL-TV reported that Schwable had been released from jail on Jan. 13, just a week before the alleged attack on the teenager. The man had been in jail for just over three weeks on charges of indecent exposure and possession of drug paraphernalia. WOFL said that those charges were dropped by prosecutors, according to court documents.
Police said those charges were not related to the bus stop incident.
Schwable’s booking photo appeared to show a large wound on the right side of his face.
Schwable was charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault.
A spokesperson with Volusia County schools confirmed that the boy was a seventh-grade student at Southwestern Middle School.
Officials also confirmed that Schwable was currently homeless.
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