St. Clair Shores

Shores teen charged in stabbing

By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

A Lake Shore High School student has been charged with stabbing another teen in the early morning hours of Labor Day on 13 Mile Road.

Lt. David Centala said police were dispatched to the 22000 block of 13 Mile Road around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 3 after receiving calls that someone had been stabbed and the suspect had fled the scene. The victim, a 17-year-old St. Clair Shores resident, was taken to St. John’s Hospital in Detroit and was in stable condition on Sept. 4.

Centala said officers set up a perimeter in the area, and “they learned information that a white male matching the suspect’s description was running east on 13 Mile.”

When officers located the suspect — later identified as 17-year-old Shane Spatafore of St. Clair Shores, a Lake Shore High School student —he would not comply with police orders to show his hands. Police were forced to use a Taser on him and he continued to resist, kicking officers even while handcuffed.

At his arraignment in 40th District Court Sept. 4, defense attorney David Pietroski of Warren said that Spatafore was spending the night at the victim’s house with some other boys.

“They were doing some sort of drug,” he said, explaining that Spatafore did not want to do an acid-type drug from a dropper, so he went to bed.

“He woke up to this,” he continued. “He thinks they drugged him.”

Police Detective Margaret Eidt said the victim suffered a punctured lung and possible internal bleeding from the incident. She explained that Spatafore allegedly grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen and chased the other teen down to the basement, then stabbed him four times in the chest.

“I do feel that, based upon the events that occurred, that he, being Mr. Spatafore, is a risk to the community,” she testified in Judge Joseph Oster’s courtroom.

She requested that, if Spatafore did post bond, he be tethered to his home, have drug and alcohol testing and have no contact with the victim or his family.

He was arraigned on charges of assault with intent to commit murder, a life felony; two-year felonies for resisting and obstructing, and assaulting a police officer; and a charge of malicious destruction of property for breaking a patio table in the neighborhood.

Oster set bond at $200,000 cash or surety and said that, “if you do post, there will be a GPS tether through house arrest services.”

The preliminary examination for Spatafore was set for Sept. 18.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1041.