Attempted murder charges filed in stabbing at South Bend church

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A South Bend man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stabbing a volunteer at Broadway Christian Church.

On January 23, the victim, a volunteer nurse from a local college was sitting at a table with other nurse volunteers when Dwayne Newsom came up behind her and stabbed her in the stomach, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Newsom then fled the church and went to his home in the 1400 block of S. High Street. At least two witnesses from the church followed Newsom to his home and directed officers to the suspect, reports said.

Officers surrounded the home and ordered Newsom to come out of the home. About a minute later, he exited the home with a knife, police said.

Witnesses at the scene identified Newsom as the suspect.

When police spoke with Newsom and asked him what happened, he said, "Some gorilla [expletive deleted] tried to rape me," according to the probable cause affidavit.

Newsom told police that he lived at the house on High Street with his mother and he left that morning armed with a knife and a hammer.

He said when he got to the church he performed a "mind search" of the people in the room. He said there was only one way for him to get out and that was to "Stab or shoot the [expletive deleted] because she ain't gonna [sic] let him out of the hotel room, according to the probable cause affidavit.

He said he got someone to point out "the [expletive deleted]" to him. He said he was considering killing her, but decided he only needed to stab her once and not leave her there dead, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Newsom has been charged with aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, and attempted murder.

The victim was badly injured and only survived because of the actions of officers and firefighters, a trauma surgeon told officers.

She is expected to fully recover.