Crime & Public Safety
Port St. Lucie man arrested after reporting stabbing that left elder hospitalized
Port St. Lucie police say a 44-year-old man was arrested after calling 911 to report he had just stabbed an older man inside a home in Port St. Lucie. The call led officers to a residence in the northwest area of the city late Sunday night, where the suspect was taken into custody without incident after exiting the home, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD).
PSLPD reports that the caller, identified by police as Cartavion Jermaine Merritt, admitted to using two knives and told dispatchers he intended to cause death the victim. Officers located the victim inside the residence with three stab wounds to the upper chest; officers and medics provided life-saving care and the victim was airlifted to a hospital in life-threatening condition, later reported as stable.
Investigators say they found the two knives in the kitchen sink and evidence the attack occurred in the bedroom, where blood was observed on the sheets. During questioning at the police department, Merritt again admitted that his intent was to cause death the victim, according to PSLPD statements. Those admissions are reported by the agency as allegations supporting the charges.
Merritt faces charges of attempted homicide — described by police as murder without premeditation — and aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older. The case remains with Port St. Lucie investigators and prosecutorial authorities, per the police account.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.