Fort Pierce man's lung collapses after stabbing at Dollar Tree store, police say

Sara Marino | Treasure Coast Newspapers

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FORT PIERCE — A fight at a Dollar Tree store in Fort Pierce ended with a man stabbed in the chest Monday afternoon, police said.

Patrick St. Jean, 37, of the 1200 block of Georgia Avenue in Fort Pierce, was charged with attempted homicide after police said he stabbed another man in the chest area. The man's lung collapsed.

Previously: Stabbing in Fort Pierce leaves man in serious condition

Police said St. Jean bought a kitchen knife from Dollar Tree in the 400 block of Georgia Avenue in Fort Pierce, and stood outside the front door.

Shortly afterward, another Fort Pierce man went into the store and purchased a soda, then tried to exchange the soda for a burrito, police said.

More: Suspicious death of 26-year-old woman investigated in Fort Pierce

When the store refused to make the exchange, the man went outside and asked St. Jean for $2.

Police said the two men got into a fight. The other man pushed a shopping cart at St. Jean, who jumped toward the man and stabbed him in the chest with the knife he had just bought.

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When police arrived, they said they found St. Jean hiding behind a Dumpster and the knife behind a nearby wall.

St. Jean was arrested and taken to the St. Lucie County Jail, where he remained as of Tuesday evening. Bail was set at $30,000.