Argument at Spring Valley park leads to fatal stabbing
An argument between two homeless men at a Spring Valley park left one man dead Friday afternoon.
At around 12:30 p.m., police responded to Charlie Frias Park, near South Decatur Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, after witnesses said one man stabbed another man near the tennis courts, according to Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson.
He said police found a man in his 40s or 50s who had been stabbed. The victim died at the scene.
Police arrested 50-year-0ld Rochlon Hamilton, according to the department.
According to Johansson, the two men got into an argument and one man stabbed the other. He said it appeared both men were homeless.
Prior to his arrest, Hamilton allegedly stabbed a dog who was in the park with a witness. Johansson said the dog was taken by animal control for treatment and is expected to survive.
He said it was unclear if the two men knew each other.
“Initial indications are that they don’t know one another but something happened prior to the verbal altercation that prompted it,” Johansson said.
Hamilton faces a charge of open murder and maiming or disfiguring an animal. He is due in court on Tuesday and remained in custody without bail as of Saturday afternoon, court records show.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.
