Accused RivCo Shoe Robbery Thief Pleads Guilty To Stabbing Guard

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A 32-year-old man who stabbed a store security guard trying to stop him from stealing shoes in Moreno Valley pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbery and assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury.

Davion Marquise Stewart of Moreno Valley admitted the charges during a status hearing before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Thomas E. Kelly at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The plea was directly to the court, without input from prosecutors.

The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 6 and ordered that the defendant remain held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to the sheriff's department, Stewart went into an outlet at the Moreno Valley Mall, near the intersection of Centerpoint Drive and Frederick Street, on the afternoon of April 25 and grabbed a pair of shoes, then headed for the exit without paying.

Sgt. Robert Frieberg said a security guard confronted the defendant to prevent the theft, culminating in a struggle between the two men.

"The victim was stabbed with a knife," Frieberg said. "He was able to pepper spray Stewart in the face before he left the location on his bicycle."

Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies arrived minutes later, along with paramedics.

The guard was taken to nearby Riverside University Medical Center for treatment of the wound, from which he has since recovered.

Frieberg said deputies scoured the area and located Stewart a couple blocks away, taking him into custody without incident.

The defendant declined treatment for the pepper spray exposure and was booked into jail.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.