Warrant reveals new details about Greenfield stabbing suspect
GREENFIELD (CBS 58) -- Joey Rivera says he first saw Ben Christianson working around noon Tuesday in the area near S. 60th St. and W. Armour Avenue.
"He was making the hole. He was making that hole right there," Rivera said, pointing to a hole in the ground.
Rivera said he later saw Christianson fall.
"On my way to an appointment with my job and I seen the gentleman fall, the lady try to help him up, hold him up, and then the officer come and start giving him CPR," he said.
He also said the suspect ran toward W. Coldspring Road. He and the woman gave officers a description of the suspect, including that he was wearing black baggie clothes and his head was covered. He also had a bandanna covering the lower part of his face that was described as being black with a white paisley print, the warrant says.
Several more witnesses shared with police where they had seen the suspect go.
Video from a home surveillance camera captured a man dressed in dark clothing and some type of white clothing near his head walking southbound on S. 61st St. at approximately 11:54 a.m. Around 12:04 p.m., the man wearing dark clothing is seen running back, then walks in front of a building in the 4200 block of S. 61st St. and then off camera.
Based on where the possible suspect was last seen running, and the fact that the incident did not appear to have a clear motive, police had an idea of who the suspect might be.
An officer said he had recent contact with the man now known as the suspect. CBS 58 is not identifying him at this point because he has not yet been charged.
According to the warrant, the suspect "had displayed a lot of unusual behavior recently, including being highly paranoid and possibly schizophrenic." He was also "known to carry weapons, which included swords and knives."
The officer said the night before, the suspect was involved in an incident when he was out, dressed in all dark clothing.
According to the warrant, officers responded to the suspect's home in the 4200 block of S. 61st St. and spoke to a teenage family member who told officers the suspect "takes a lot of medication and has mental issues."
She said around noon or 1 p.m., the suspect left in all black. She said he came back about twenty minutes later. When she saw him after he was home, she noticed he had changed his clothes and was "on edge."
The warrant says she had been in contact with other family members, including the suspect's mom who had asked what the suspect was wearing and if he had left the house. They told her that someone had been attacked at Speedway and asked if the suspect was there that day. She said by the end of the conversation, they all believed the suspect had been involved in the incident.
According to the warrant, the teenage family member said he often says "he is going to go out and kill people, as he leaves the house."
Officers who had arrived at the home saw the suspect leave the apartment building door. He was arrested.
The warrant says a detective spoke to the suspect's mom. She said her son "has struggled in the past with autism and anger issues," and that he had stopped taking his medications.
According to the warrant, there were two more incidents involving the suspect earlier this month, both on August 1. In one incident, someone reported that he appeared to have a gun tucked into his pants. He was also found to be carrying a pocket knife.
A woman also called police that day and said her home security video showed him wearing a black coat, black pants, black tennis shoes and a black bandanna over his face. He was walking around and appeared to have a handgun in his waist, but also carried in his right hand.