DES MOINES, Iowa – Police have arrested a Florida woman who apparently followed her ex-husband across the country and then stabbed him repeatedly in a Davenport mall.
Debi Joy Droguett Olson, of Sarasota, Fla., was charged Thursday with first-degree murder and willful injury in the death of her 52-year-old ex-husband, Mauricio Droguett, said Jerry Feuerbach, assistant county attorney.
He said Mauricio Droguett was walking inside the NorthPark Mall about 7:30 a.m. Thursday when he was stabbed multiple times on the front and back sides of his body. One of his co-workers reportedly subdued Olson until police arrived a few minutes later. That man suffered minor injuries, Feuerbach said.
Authorities said Mauricio Droguett worked for Carson & Barnes Family Circus, a traveling circus scheduled to appear Thursday in Davenport. He had gotten restraining orders against his ex-wife in at least a few states, but Feuerbach couldn't confirm which states.
He said the couple were married for about 20 years and then divorced a few years ago. They had no known local connection other than that Mauricio Droguett was working in the area.
Feuerbach said the employees of the circus had arrived in Davenport early Thursday.
"He had probably only been in Davenport a matter of minutes before this happened," Feuerbach said.
Davenport Police Capt. David Struckman told the Quad-City Times that other people inside the mall witnessed the incident and mall security also responded.
"This is a very upsetting crime, but one of those types of crimes that can't be predicted," Struckman said. "It was one person targeting another."
Feuerbach said Olson was scheduled for an initial appearance in Scott County District Court on Friday morning. He did not know if she had hired an attorney.
Mauricio Droguett's body was being transported to Iowa City, where an autopsy was expected to be performed.
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