A 31-year-old Columbiaville man was assaulted by an alleged knife-wielding assailant Sunday morning in the Oxford Meijer parking lot.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. when Ferndale resident Anthony Francis Iannotti, 21, allegedly approached the victim while he was parked in the southwest corner of the Meijer lot.
The victim told Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies he was on his way home from his job in Southfield, when he “got too tired to drive so he pulled over. . .to take a nap before continuing home.”
According to the report, Iannotti told the victim “the police just impounded my car and I need a ride.”
Iannotti had been arrested by deputies earlier that morning for malicious destruction of property involving some slashed tires on Chinkapin Rill in the Lake Villa Manufactured Home Park, stalking and being a disorderly person.
According to the report, Iannotti allegedly slashed the tires of vehicles belonging to his friend’s (a 23-year-old Waterford man) ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Iannotti admitted to police he threw some pumpkins as their home, “but purposely missed so he would not cause damage.”
At the time of his arrest, Iannotti was found to have two knives in his possession, which were confiscated by deputies. The 1994 Chevy Cavlier Iannotti was driving was impounded.
Iannotti was released from custody pending further investigation around 6:30 a.m. and dropped off at the Meijer “to call and wait for a ride,” the report stated.
When the Columbiaville man declined to give him a ride, Iannotti began to walk away, but then returned to the car and began asking “what road he was on and which way Baldwin road was.”
Iannotti allegedly tried to open the driver’s side door, but it was locked.
The suspect then allegedly reached inside the open window and struck the left side of the victim’s neck with a knife, the report stated. The victim also sustained cut wounds to his left hand.
At that point, the victim told police he put the car in gear and drove across the parking lot to the Meijer gas station to seek help.
Upon seeing the victim, a gas station attendant called 9-1-1. He was transported to Lapeer Regional Hospital for treatment of his wounds, which were described as not life-threatening.
A sheriff’s Canine Unit and ATVs from the Marine Division were called to the scene to search the surrounding areas for Iannotti.
The tracking dog recovered a man’s orange shirt stained with blood in some landscaping, north of Market St., in Waterstone.
A deputy noted in the report he had observed Iannotti earlier that morning at the substation wearing an “orange sport shirt and cammo type military pants.”
Found near the shirt was a package from a filet knife bearing a Meijer price tag.
According to the report, prior to the alleged attack, Iannotti was observed by an employee of Meijer’s Loss Prevention Unit walking toward the sporting goods section, which housed a display of fishing equipment that included filet knives in packages “identical” to the one recovered by deputies.
However, police did not recover the knife allegedly used in the attack.
The dog tracked south toward Kalloway’s Restaurant and Pub, where it discontinued its search.
Iannotti allegedly stole a 1987 Buick Century from Kalloway’s parking lot to make his escape, according to the report. The vehicle was owned by a restaurant employee and Oxford Village resident.
Hazel Park Police later notified county dispatch Iannotti had been spotted in the allegedly stolen car.
A short time later sheriff’s deputies were advised that Iannotti had been apprehended by Ferndale Police after he allegedly attempted to flee from them in the allegedly stolen car.
Iannotti was arraigned Monday in Ferndale 43rd District Court before Judge Joseph Longo on charges of fleeing and eluding police and receiving and concealing stolen property (motor vehicle).
He was also arraigned Tuesday in Rochester Hills 52-3 District Court on felony charges of aggravated stalking, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, and the misdemeanor charge of malicious destruction of property charge, according to Sheriff’s Detective Ken Alderman.
All the charges Iannotti was arraigned on in the Rochester Hills court were related to the incident on Chinkapin Rill.
Iannotti’s currently being held in the Oakland County Jail in lieu of a $200,000 bond set by the Ferndale court and a $100,000 bond set by the Rochester Hills court.
Additional charges against Iannotti relating to the alleged knife attack at the Oxford Meijer are being reviewed by the prosecutor, Alderman said.
Alderman noted that Iannotti was released on probation from the county jail three weeks ago after serving nine months for aggravated stalking.