For the third time in the past six months a transient turned the Nob Hill Shopping Center into a crime scene Friday, leaving two people hospitalized and many local residents worried for their safety.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Amy Fjerstad, owner of Bambini's, a child clothing store in Nob Hill, was robbed and stabbed six times by Peter Murphy, a "transient who has had past run-ins with police," according to police.
Fjerstad was transported to UNM Hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery Saturday.
She remains in serious condition at the hospital.
Murphy was chased from the scene by two bystanders to the Premier Motel, 3820 East Central, where he took a woman, allegedly his girlfriend, hostage, said APD spokeswoman Trish Ahrensfield.
Armed with what officers thought was a knife and a gun, Murphy was able to hold off Albuquerque police officers for more than three hours. Eventually he turned himself in, stumbling out of the hotel room with "several self-inflicted wounds to his stomach," Ahrensfield said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"It was a very hectic situation," she said. "He (Murphy) was bleeding a lot when he was arrested."
Murphy remains in serious condition at UNMH, said Jennifer Riordan, a spokeswoman for the hospital.
It is unclear whether Murphy is an Albuquerque resident, but it is speculated that he is a patient at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Albuquerque.
The woman, who Ahrensfield said was being held against her will, was not injured during the incident.
Murphy was also transferred to UNM Hospital and underwent at least one surgery Saturday night, according to a UNMH spokesperson.
Police say they will arrest Murphy as soon as he is released from the hospital. He faces charges of attempted murder, robbery, assault and kidnapping, Ahrensfield said. Murphy will be arraigned following his release from the hospital.
Many residents said they are uneasy about the recent rash of violence in the area.
Five months ago an APD sergeant was shot by a transient just a few blocks from Friday's incident. The assailant was later shot and killed by officers.
Last month, a homeless woman was arrested behind a Nob Hill motel for allegedly attacking two shoppers when they refused to give her money.
"It really gets under your skin," said UNM sophomore Stephanie Duran who said she was shopping in a nearby Nob Hill boutique when the incident occurred Friday. "You try to put it behind you and go on with your life, but it's just hard to forget something like this."
Sam Johannes, a Santa Fe resident who brings his family to shop at Nob Hill every holiday season, said violence is a natural part of society and it's everyone's job to deal with it the best they can.
"Sure it is scary and maybe a little intimidating," Johannes said. "But you have to go on with your life and try to be safe."
Friday's event came hours after Albuquerque's City Council opted not to move on Mayor Martin Ch†vez's proposal to implement new laws against aggressive transients and panhandlers in the city.
The laws would make it illegal for panhandlers to come within three feet of pedestrians and would outline harsher punishments for transients who are found repeatedly guilty of crimes.
Ch†vez could not be reached for comment, but said during a press conference that "this recent incident is disturbing and shows that we need to do something about this situation."
Melinda Rand-Kenefic, Nob Hill business association president, said business owners have hired security guards to patrol the area and are constantly looking for ways to improve the safety for their patrons.
"We've had to deal with these kinds of situations for years," she said. "We're doing the best we can."
