Topeka man faces 16 charges after stabbing spree ends in park
Adam Schwegman allegedly injured four people and broke into two homes over a few hours before a bystander tripped him.
By Layla Petrov ·
Ron Hubbard was talking to a friend on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when he noticed a man acting strangely on the street to his left. The man, later identified as Adam Schwegman, had already injured four people and entered two houses in Topeka, Kansas, according to police records.
Hubbard said he and his friend confronted Schwegman after seeing another bystander approach. Hubbard described watching Schwegman run from Ward Meade Park. He stepped forward, extended his leg, and tripped the man into the grass. The knife Schwegman was holding fell out of his hand. Hubbard kicked the blade toward the sidewalk while his friend held Schwegman down. Schwegman escaped the group briefly, but police officers arrived and took him into custody.
Topeka Police Department officials say the sequence began an hour earlier on S.W. Fillmore. Schwegman allegedly stabbed two people at that address. His booking charges also include an allegation of rape at the same location. He then moved up the road and broke into two homes. Four children were inside one of the houses, including an infant who was four months old. Officials stated that none of the children were hurt during the entry.
The violence continued on a nearby street, where police say a third person was stabbed. The final incident occurred at Ward Meade Park, where Schwegman attacked a 70-year-old woman. She sustained injuries during the attack. Hubbard was in the vicinity when he spotted Schwegman fleeing the park.
Hubbard compared the situation to a scene he had previously seen on television involving a delivery worker intervening during a police chase. He said he felt a duty to act to prevent further harm. “Well, if you see something bad, try to help stop it. I wish we could have got to it before this happened,” Hubbard said.
Schwegman was booked into jail on 16 charges. These include aggravated battery and rape. He made his initial appearance in court on Thursday, Oct. 29. A judge set his total bond at $3 million.
The case remains open as prosecutors review the evidence gathered from the four victims and the two residential break-ins. Police have not released further details on the specific injuries sustained by the victims beyond confirming they were hurt.
