Boulder Barnes & Noble stabbing suspect allegedly stabbed store manager after being confronted over stolen gummy bears
The man arrested Friday afternoon in connection with a stabbing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Boulder allegedly stabbed a store manager after that manager confronted the suspect over possibly stolen gummy bears.
Benjamin Scott Schwelling, 42, was arrested after being identified by at least one witness, according to Boulder Police.
He's facing a charge of felony first-degree assault after allegedly stabbing a store manager, who CBS News Colorado is choosing not to name, due to privacy concerns.
Boulder police say an employee at the Barnes & Noble at 2999 Pearl Street saw a man, later identified by police as Schwelling, walk out of the store with a bag of gummy bears he allegedly didn't pay for. The employee told the store manager who went outside to confront the alleged shoplifter.
The victim later told police he, "wanted to confront the suspect...and to tell him to never return to his store."
But when he did, Schwelling "got pissed" and got in the manager's face. Moments later, he allegedly stabbed the victim in the abdomen with a small folding knife, police say in an arrest affidavit. He tried to stab the victim again, but the knife hit the man's belt and it had no effect.
The victim's stab wound was between 1/2 an inch and 3/4 of an inch, according to the Boulder District Attorney's Office. He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but was later released after receiving five staples.
Police found Schwelling less than 10 minutes after they were first called. Investigators asked him what happened. In the arrest affidavit, police say Schwelling told them the manager confronted him by shoving him into his bicycle. Schwelling then said he, went into "self-defense mode" and grabbed some wire cutters.
Police say that when the asked Schwelling if he hit his confronter, Schwelling said yes.
