An early morning dispute in Fort Pierce escalated to violence as a man was stabbed following a heated argument over money. The Fort Pierce Police Department (FPPD) responded to the incident on Tuesday at around 4:33 a.m. in the 2500 block of Avenue I, where they discovered the victim with a stab wound to the upper leg, according to CBS12.
The confrontation reportedly began as a verbal exchange between the victim and an unidentified woman in a parking lot. It was at this point that 41-year-old Jermie Jay Gaines exited his nearby vehicle to quickly engage in the argument. The FPPD stated that Gaines is accused of having taken out a knife and using it to stab the victim before fleeing the scene. Gaines was later arrested after officers issued a BOLO alert and used previous knowledge of the suspect to locate him a mere few hours following the altercation.
Upon questioning, Gaines admitted to being at the scene, citing a monetary dispute as his reason. “The victim owed him money,” Gaines claimed, as per the FPPD’s interview. He maintained his innocence regarding the assault, a claim contradicted by video surveillance that showed otherwise. As a result of the evidence, Gaines was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, according to WPBF…