Motorist accused of smashing his Lexus into ER doctor’s bike in Laguna Beach, then stabbing him to death while mouthing racial slurs, charged with murder and held on $1M bail
Accountant accused of intentionally running into ER doctor’s bike from behind after running a traffic light appeared in an Orange County court on Friday
Vanroy Evan Smith according to witnesses then stabbed the ER doctor to death at an intersection in Laguna Beach, California, on Wednesday afternoon
Dr Michael Mammone was stabbed after being mowed down by a speeding Lexus
The driver, Vanroy Evan Smith, 39, has appeared in court charged with murder
He was also charged with the personal use of a deadly weapon
He is held on $1M bail, and will next appear in court for a preliminary hearing on February 14
Dr Mammone, an ER physician at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, is survived by his wife and two sons
A California, accountant accused of mowing down an ER doctor before stabbing him to death appeared in court Friday charged with the murder of the physician.
Vanroy Evan Smith, 39, appeared in Orange County Central Court charged with the murder of Dr Michael Mammone, 58, on Wednesday.
Michael Mammone had been cycling along the Pacific Coast Highway in California when Smith who was driving a white Lexus, sped through a red light at an intersection and plowed into his mountain bike from behind.
Smith is accused of running over the married father-of-two before getting out and stabbing him and has been remanded into custody with $1 million bail.
He appeared in court shackled to several deputies and only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.
The alleged killer was also charged with the personal use of a deadly weapon and will appear in court on February 14.
Witnesses say he was holding a BB gun when he approached Dr Mammone, a married father-of-two, and was screaming racial slurs about ‘white privilege’.
Street cameras captured the shocking video moment Evan Smith, a trained accountant, careened into the cyclist. It shows the Lexus appearing to speed through the intersection and throwing the doctor and his bike up into the air.
The motive behind the gruesome incident is still a matter of speculation as police claimed the men were complete strangers.
In the footage Smith, who is black, can then be seen walking over to Dr Mammone and attacking him again before witnesses drag him away. Witnesses said he was mouthing slurs about white privilege as he alighted form his vehicle and headed towards the injured cyclist.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department said investigators were unaware of the slurs and added that there was ‘no known relationship or motive’ for the killing.
Mammone lived in the neighborhood, close to his job. It is unclear if the doctor was traveling to or from work during the incident. His friends say he regularly cycled to the hospital.
His wife Julie said that it was a ‘really difficult time’ for the family after the tragic incident.
Authorities discovered the doctor lying in the intersection suffering from severe injuries, with police recovering a knife from the scene.
Despite witnesses claiming they saw a gun of some kind, officials have not confirmed if any firearms were recovered from the scene.
Sgt Michael Woodruff also praised the witnesses at the scene who detained Smith, calling their actions ‘brave and heroic’.
Smith a father-of-two, same as his victim, remains in custody at the Intake Release Center in Orange County.
Michael Mammone who graduated from the Keck School of Medicine of The University of Southern California in 1993, has worked as an ER physician at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, since 2011.
He also occasionally worked out of Mission Viejo and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Santa Ana.
The hospital said in a statement: ‘We are stunned by this devastating tragedy. The entire Mission Hospital family is grieving over the loss of an incredible physician and friend.
‘We will honor Dr. Mammone’s dedication to our community and passion for medicine by continuing to provide exceptional care.’
He leaves behind his wife Julie, a nurse in the same hospital, and two sons, Nick and Jon.
Leave a Reply