Police have not released a motive in the attack on a woman eating lunch.
DECATUR, Ga. — A DeKalb County aggravated assault case is moving into the court process after police said a 22-year-old man stabbed a woman he did not know while she ate lunch at a Decatur First Watch.
Walter Scrutchings Jr. was arrested after the May 19 stabbing and booked into the DeKalb County Jail. Police said the woman was stabbed once in the back about 12:40 p.m. at the restaurant in the 2500 block of Blackmon Drive. She went to a neighboring business for help and was later taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
The first stage of the case has centered on three basic records: the police response, the arrest warrant and jail booking information. Together, those records identify Scrutchings as the suspect, list aggravated assault as the charge and place the incident during the Tuesday lunch hour. They also show how much remains unknown. Police have not released a motive, a detailed statement from Scrutchings or a full account of the seconds before the stabbing.
The arrest warrant said Scrutchings was at the restaurant with his mother before the attack. It said he took a butter knife from his table and stabbed the victim, who was seated at another table. The warrant also said Scrutchings’ mother told police he suffers from a mental health disorder. That detail may become relevant in later hearings, but it has not changed the charge announced by police.
Aggravated assault is a serious felony accusation, and the case will depend on evidence collected from the restaurant and nearby area. Prosecutors may rely on witness accounts, physical evidence, medical records and any video that exists from the restaurant or surrounding businesses. Police have not publicly confirmed whether surveillance footage was recovered. They also have not said whether the knife was tested, photographed or entered into evidence.
The woman’s account has not been released in full. Police said she was eating when she was attacked and that Scrutchings was a stranger. After the stabbing, she reached another business and called for help. That sequence could be important because it helps establish the timing of the emergency response and shows the victim was able to identify where she had been attacked. Officials have not released her name, age or whether she has left the hospital.
A witness said she and a coworker were at First Watch on a lunch break from a nearby health care office when the attack happened. She described the stabbing as sudden and said a person walked up behind the victim. That account tracks with the police description, but investigators have not released all witness statements. In court, witness testimony could help establish where Scrutchings was sitting, where the victim was sitting and how quickly the attack unfolded. The public setting may also shape the evidence. A weekday restaurant at 12:40 p.m. can include servers, customers, managers, delivery workers and people moving between nearby businesses. Each person may have seen a different part of the event. Some may have seen the approach, others may have seen the victim leave for help and others may have seen police arrive. Investigators have not said how many people were interviewed.
The location has become part of the story because it was familiar to people in the area. First Watch is known for daytime meals, and the Blackmon Drive restaurant sits in Decatur, northeast of Atlanta. Local resident Charlie Cote said the area usually feels safe to him. “I’ve lived here most of my life and I kind of take for granted that it’s a safe, pedestrian-friendly area,” Cote said. Customer Topher Payne called the incident “shocking.”
Scrutchings is from Lithonia, according to police and local reports. Booking information listed him in DeKalb County custody on May 19, the date of the attack. Early reports said no future court date had been publicly listed. Once a date is set, the case could move through first appearance procedures, bond issues, preliminary hearings or indictment review, depending on how prosecutors proceed and which court handles the next filing.
The case has not produced any public allegation that the woman provoked the attack or had prior contact with Scrutchings. Police have said the two were strangers. They have not said whether Scrutchings made any statement about why he allegedly acted. The absence of a motive leaves the court record especially important, because later filings may be the first place where investigators’ fuller theory of the case becomes public.
For now, the victim is expected to recover, Scrutchings faces an aggravated assault charge and the investigation remains open. The next major development is expected to come from a court filing, a scheduled hearing or a DeKalb County police update that adds detail to the warrant and witness accounts already made public.
Author note: Last updated June 19, 2026.