Stabbing death prompts worry about Phoenix homeless population

More than 100 people met at City Hall in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday to voice concerns about neighborhood problems they say are caused by homeless individuals.

The town hall was organized following the stabbing death of 36-year-old Joshua Fitzpatrick on Saturday and subsequent arrest of a homeless man who had been released from prison a few weeks earlier.

Karl Obergh, who lived near Fitzpatrick in a neighborhood near Third Avenue south of McDowell Road, said he contacted community and city leaders to keep the neighborhood safe and informed.

"Red flags started flying, and I wanted to make sure we did something about it," Obergh said. "It was concern not just for my children but for my community and neighbors."

The town hall began shortly after 7 p.m., with Obergh relaying his story to the packed meeting room.

Obergh has lived in the historic Roosevelt neighborhood for 24 years, calling it a "beautiful area" with plenty of parks, hospitals and schools to support families.

He stressed that even though the meeting was a response to Fitzgerald's death, it was not meant to criminalize homelessness or demonize sections of the population.

"What we're doing here today isn't a finger-pointing scenario, it's a fact-finding scenario," Obergh said.

READ MORE:

Man who cut homeless' hair was hailed as a hero, but there's more to the story

Phoenix man, non-profit working to uplift homeless

'We're here to learn from one another'

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said he was there to listen to concerns and have a frank discussion on how to resolve issues affecting the transient and homeless population at large.

"We're here to learn from one another, and we're here to leave tonight with a greater understanding and have that inform our next step," Stanton said.

Curtis Bagley, 38, was arrested after he entered Fizpatrick's house and confronted the man and his wife with a knife. Fitzpatrick was fatally stabbed.

Police said the man had been released from prison on March 17. On March 23, a surveillance camera on The Arizona Republic building at Second and Van Buren streets captured Bagley being arrested by Phoenix police after refusing to vacate an area alongside the building, where he had been yelling at people. Police said he was taken to a psychiatric facility that night.

Following a briefing by Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams on the night Fitzgerald was murdered, the public was able to approach the panel with questions that at times turned heated.

Among the concerns raised were questions about protocols for releasing individuals with apparent mental health problems from prison. Others questioned whether more could be done to crack down on people trespassing on private property, and some described bad encounters in their neighborhoods.

'Connecting and talking' will make the difference

Williams urged neighbors to work together to help keep areas safe, recommending that they join community watch groups or install home surveillance systems on their property.

"You all being involved either as volunteers on patrol ... connecting and talking is going to make the difference in the community because we don't know who belongs," Williams said.

Williams also urged people to stop giving food or money to people they believe are homeless or transient, contending that it's better for people to contribute to non-profits that help the homeless.

The Arizona Department of Corrections website shows Bagley was released from prison on March 17 after a nearly four-month sentence for violating terms of his probation stemming from a previous conviction. He has a criminal history in Arizona dating to 2008.

From 2008 to 2015, Bagley received convictions of aggravated assault, theft, burglary and attempting to commit a narcotic drug violation.

MORE: 'God's Army' vows to spend 40 days, nights with homeless at Shadow Mountain

Bagley has spent more than six years in prison over the past decade. The Corrections website shows he was cited on multiple disciplinary infractions for disorderly conduct, disruptive behavior, criminal damage, and threatening and fighting.

According to court records, Bagley in 2015 was found incompetent to stand trial and had to undergo "restoration to competency" before entering into a plea agreement.

READ MORE: