STUART, Fla. — Police in Stuart said Wednesday they have arrested a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a man at a local park on New Year's Day.
Detectives arrested Slater Lee Baker, 49, in the killing at Smith Turner Park on Jan. 1.
Police said on New Year's Day they responded to a 911 call reporting a man was stabbed at the park, located at 599 Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Officers arrived and found Baker within an hour of the stabbing and took him into custody on a warrant for violation of parole.
Detectives said they continued their investigation and then on Tuesday formally charged Baker with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing.
Stuart Police Chief Joseph Tumminelli told WPTV that Baker and the victim — both of whom were homeless at the time — got into an altercation.
Tumminelli said Baker stabbed the victim while he was sleeping on a bench in the park in broad daylight.
According to the chief, Baker was just released from prison for a similar crime.
"He was actually on probation for actually stabbing someone else," Tumminelli said. "This is very rare to have this happen in the city of Stuart."
Tumminelli said Baker and the victim knew each other and said the stabbing was an isolated incident.
Baker is being held at the Martin County jail without bond.
