Funeral arrangements have been announced for Jacquelyn Smith, the 54-year old Harford County woman who was fatally stabbed just after midnight Saturday while trying to help a panhandler in Baltimore City.
A public memorial will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at Helping Hands Ministries in Churchville. A private family viewing will take place on December 15 in Smith's hometown of Providence, Rhode Island.
Baltimore Police and Smith’s husband were at the intersection of East Chase and Valley Streets Monday to hand out flyers and canvass the area for information. Keith Smith, now a widower, described what happened to his wife when she rolled down her car window to help a woman asking for money to feed her baby.
“Some guy came to say can I thank her. As he did that—and I’m not thinking he’s going to do what he did, he commenced to stabbing my wife,” said Smith.” [He] snatched her necklace before I knew it and the girl snatched the little pocketbook in the seat and they both ran.”
Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle says it was a heinous act and investigators believe the suspects were working together. He also cautions the public about engaging with panhandlers, saying not all of them have honest intent and not all of them are in real need.
“They’re using this ruse as panhandlers to get the attention of their would-be victim,” said Tuggle. “We [also] want to caution the public about engaging with panhandlers.”
Anyone with information in the case should call police at 410-396-2221 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.