Mission Valley

Man Pleads Not Guilty to Triple Stabbing in Mission Valley

Prosecutors are not able to give many details of the case, but they did talk about the weapon used following Fridayโ€™s arraignment

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A man accused of beating a blind man in Mission Valley, then stabbing a pair of good samaritans, pleaded not guilty on Friday.

James Anthony Thomas, 35, is in custody and appeared via video call to his arraignment. He is facing three felony counts of attempted murder.

Thomas is accused of a brutal, unprovoked attack that occurred Tuesday evening in Mission Valley. San Diego Police say a 72-year-old blind man was walking with his cane when he was attacked from behind. The suspect stabbed the blind man several times, leaving the victim with a skull fracture.

A couple of good samaritans tried to help. A 57-year-old woman and her 60-year-old husband were also stabbed and suffered serious injuries. The woman has a punctured lung.

One of the victims from the attack is not expected to survive. NBC 7's Dave Summers has the story.

According to police, a witness called 9-1-1 and pointed police in the direction where the suspect was. Not far from the attack, officers found Thomas sitting on a nearby bike bath and took him into custody. Police believe Thomas is homeless.

Prosecutors are not able to give many details of the case, but they did talk about the weapon used following Fridayโ€™s arraignment.

โ€œOne of the allegations is that he personally used a deadly weapon, a screwdriver,โ€ said Kelsey Hollander, Deputy District Attorney.

The victims did survive but are still healing from their wounds.

Thomas is scheduled back in court on August 18 for a preliminary hearing. He faces life in prison if convicted of the charges.

Editor's note: The headline of this story incorrectly reported the suspect pleaded guilty. He, in fact, pleaded not guilty and the headline has been updated. We regret the error.

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