Fr. Matt Marino was following his usual morning routine on Wednesday, stopping by one of his favorite coffee spots in St. Augustine.
The Juniper Market wasn’t open yet, so he sat outside at a table on San Marco Avenue with a friend.
Suddenly, a woman on a bicycle rode straight toward him, holding a large steak knife, sources told The Citizen.
Before Marino could react, she jumped off her bike and stabbed him. He tried to protect himself but fell to the ground. The suspect, described as a petite woman, quickly rode away.
“He was out cold, lying flat on the floor,” said Theo Glory, owner of the Coffee Realty Cafe across the street. “Good Samaritans covered him with a jacket and waited for emergency crews. Within minutes, police cars and fire trucks arrived and did their job.”
Marino, now in stable condition, was stabbed just below his collarbone, police said.
As he was taken to the hospital, St. Augustine Police released a photo of the suspect from witness descriptions and security footage showing a woman riding a bike downtown.
Two hours later, police arrested 22-year-old Arieana Gibbs. She now faces an attempted murder charge.
Authorities later learned that earlier that morning, Gibbs had grabbed a McDonald’s employee and pulled out a knife. She is being held without bond at the St. Johns County Jail.
Gibbs has a history of arrests, including one in August for throwing a can of yams at her former boyfriend. She served 28 days in jail but was released on time served.
Carlina Gibbs, who identified herself as the suspect’s sister in a Facebook post, wrote that her sibling is “mentally unstable” due to a difficult upbringing but is not “pure evil.”
The Episcopal Diocese of Florida thanked first responders and medical staff for helping Marino.
“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the skilled paramedics and law enforcement officers who cared for Fr. Matt, and to the doctors and nurses treating him now,” the statement read. “We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates. Please keep Fr. Matt, his family, and the Trinity St. Augustine community in your prayers.”