Inset: Roosevelt Loray Johnson (Riviera Beach Police Department). Background: The scene where he allegedly killed a stranger using a barbecue fork (WPBF).
A 29-year-old man in Florida is accused of killing a complete stranger, fatally stabbing the victim multiple times in the head and neck with a pronged barbecue fork failing to attack his own mother and cousin.
Roosevelt Loray Johnson was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of first-degree murder in the apparently unprovoked attack, court documents reviewed by Law&Crime show. According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Riviera Beach Police Department at about 6 p.m. on Monday responded to a report of an armed subject at the Berkley Landing Apartments in the 3100 block of Riviera Beach, which is about 75 miles north of Miami.
Following the initial 911 call, dispatch operators said multiple additional calls came in regarding citizens rendering aid to a man who had been stabbed just outside of the apartment complex.
Upon arriving, first responders located the victim, described as a 5-foot-5-inch Hispanic male between age 40 and 50, who was “bleeding and laying in the street next to his bicycle.”
Witnesses immediately began identifying Johnson as the assailant, pointing him out as he sat on the bench at a nearby bus stop smoking a cigarette. Officers approached and detained Johnson, noting that he had blood covering his hands. Police also found a two-pronged barbecue fork “with blood on both prongs” on the bench next to where Johnson had been sitting.
Multiple witnesses told police the same story, which included Johnson approaching the victim, who was riding a bicycle, and stabbing him several times before casually walking over to the bus stop and lighting a cigarette.
“Witness 3 observed [Johnson] stab the other male with an unknown object multiple times in the head and neck area,” the affidavit states. “Witness-3 even heard [Johnson] repeatedly shout: ‘DIE! DIE! DIE’ as he was continuously stabbing the unknown male. Witness-3 then advised that [Johnson] abruptly stopped attacking the victim, stood up calmly, and turned around to walk away. Witness-3 then left the area but saw police and made contact with officers on scene.”
Johnson’s mother, Deborah McLeod, told police that before he attacked the stranger, Johnson had tried to stab her with the fork.
“McLeod further explained that Johnson swung overhand to stab her, but her sweater got caught/tangled with the BBQ Fork and Johnson pulled back as if he missed,” the affidavit states. “McLeod then stated that Johnson’s attention was re-diverted to his cousin, Rhiannon Phillips. Johnson then began to chase Phillips with the BBQ Fork but Phillips was able to barricade herself in the bathroom.”
After the unsuccessful attacks, McLeod said her son “stormed out of the apartment” while “carrying the BBQ fork.”
In a post-Miranda interview with investigators, Johnson allegedly confessed to stabbing the victim, saying he attacked the man with “a fork,” per the affidavit.
“Detectives asked if Johnson knew the victim, and Johnson replied that he did not know him,” the affidavit states. “As questions continued, Johnson paused detectives and asked, ‘Is the little Guatemalan dead?’ Johnson also stated, ‘I just hit him. I just started hitting him. He was just riding on his bike, drinking his beer.””
Johnson is currently being held in the Palm Beach County Jail without bond, records show. In addition to the murder charge, Johnson is also facing one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
