“I’m here because I attacked a young woman the other day,” admits Warwick stabber

By: News Staff

news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

WARWICK, R.I. – The man who brutally and randomly stabbed a young Rite-Aid worker in Warwick admitted in court on Tuesday he knew exactly what he was doing.

41-year-old Jacob Gallant told police he bought a butcher knife over the weekend, and wanted to stab the first person he saw.

“I’m here because I attacked a young woman the other day,” said Gallant when asked by a judge if he knew why he was in court.

That statement from Gallant is why he won’t be undergoing a competency evaluation.

Instead, the judge deemed him competent after all and ordered Gallant to under-go a mental health evaluation.

Gallant is accused of stabbing 18-year-old Rite-Aid employee Alyssa Garcia at least eight times on Sunday before two men jumped in to help.

According to police, Gallant’s family says he had been struggling with the recent death of his grandmother, and admitted to police he stabbed Garcia.

“He provided a written statement that he intended to purchase a knife and try and stab and kill the first person he saw and he tried to stab the female in the heart and had no connection between the suspect and the victim,” said Lt. Michael Gilbert from the Warwick Police Department.

Gallant was charged with intent to murder, and held on bail.

He will be back in court next month.

Alyssa Garcia remains in stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017