Michael Zaccardo, a 20-year-old Orlando man, was taken into custody in Seattle on Tuesday following an allegation of a stabbing at Shadow Bay Park in Orange County, as per the Sheriff's Office. The alleged incident, which took place last Saturday, saw a man in his 20s stabbed while winding his visit at the park, the victim had approached Zaccardo querying about park operating hours shortly before receiving what he thought was a punch to his back, later identified as a stab wound, according to AOL News.
This violent encounter extended into a struggle as the victim fought the assailant's attempts to continue his assault, which led to the knife being dropped, enabling the bloody and injured victim to escape and find park staff. The park staff who recall warning both the man and Zaccardo, that the park would be closing soon before they were approached by the victim. In an overlapping yet separate incident, another man reported an aggravated assault asserting a connection between his assailant and the person seen in news reports about the Shadow Bay incident. This earlier case involved Zaccardo purportedly instigating a fight and then brandishing a knife when refused, prompting the victim to flee back to his house as his attacker left in a black BMW, as reported by WFTV.
Zaccardo is now charged with attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, says the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. They informed that he was identified by both the stabbed man and a park staff member, who had earlier spotted Zaccardo on a bench near the crime scene, as detailed by ClickOrlando. The suspect is currently detained at the King County jail while he awaits extradition to Florida.
Kings County Sheriff's Office in Washington confirmed Zaccardo's arrest under a warrant issued on Tuesday, the warrant contained details about the Shadow Bay Park stabbing that occurred close to park closing hours and the subsequent identification procession was thorough with photographic lineups pointing to Zaccardo as the aggressor in both reported cases. His legal process continues as authorities in Orange County pursue the next steps for prosecution, according to ClickOrlando and WFTV.
