LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN — On September 16th, a man with a knife stabbed an elderly man to death in the automotive and sporting goods area of a Meijer department store. A female shopper who witnessed the attack drew her firearm and ordered the suspect to the floor. He complied and was lying on the floor on his back when police arrived. He had a cut on one hand and the murder weapon was found on a nearby shelf where he had thrown it.
The suspect was identified as Alarik john Guajardo, 29, of Adrian, Michigan. After receiving treatment at ProMedica Bixby Hospitial, Guajardo waived his Mranda rights and stated to officers that he “entered Meijer with the intent to kill an elderly man”.
The victim, Glen Harold Meyers, 85, of Adrian Township, Michigan was stabbed approximately 15 times.
The woman who intervened, a concealed carry permit holder, was praised for her actions which likely prevented the suspect from committing further crimes and fleeing from the scene. By merely presenting the firearm, she gained compliance from a murderer, without having to fire a shot.
Lenawee County Prosecutor Burke Castleberry disputed rumors that the altercation resulted from a confrontation over a face mask.
Lenawee County Chief Public Defender John Glaser, representing Guajardo, made the following statement to the judge in the case: “There’s serious questions about his competency and criminal responsibility with respect to these issues.” The judge concurred, setting the trial date for January 21, 2021, and ordering Guajardo to undergo a psychiatric examination to determine the extent to which he can be held responsible for his actions. He is being held on a $10 million bond with a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
