Who is Vanroy Smith? Accountant accused of mowing down ER doctor with speeding Lexus before fatally stabbing him gets $1M bond
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Vanroy Evan Smith was charged with the murder of Michael Mammone, an ER doctor, on Friday, February 3 in Orange County Central Court. Mammone, 58, was cycling down the Pacific Coast Highway in California on Wednesday afternoon, February 1, when he was struck by a white Lexus that Smith was driving after he ran a red light at an intersection.
Smith, 39, has been remanded into custody with a $1 million bond after being accused of running over the married father-of-two, getting out, and stabbing him. He was restrained by several deputies when he appeared in court and only spoke to confirm his name and birthdate. The alleged murderer will appear in court on February 14 on charges of using a lethal weapon for personal purposes. Witnesses claimed that Smith allegedly approached Mammone while brandishing a BB pistol and yelling racist slurs about "white privilege," according to ABC7. Orange County Sheriff's Department claimed that there was "no known relationship or motive" for the crime and that investigators were not aware of the slurs. Officials have not confirmed whether any guns were found at the scene, despite witnesses reporting seeing some sort of gun.
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Who was Michael Mammone? California doctor fatally stabbed by driver after being run over by car
'He died very close to where he saved hundreds of lives'
Since 2011, Mammone, who earned his medical degree from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in 1993, has served as an emergency room physician at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach. In addition, he sometimes worked at the Children's Hospital of Orange County in Santa Ana and Mission Viejo.
In a statement, the Providence Mission Hospital said, "We are stunned by this devastating tragedy. The entire Mission Hospital family is grieving over the loss of an incredible physician and friend. We will honor Dr Mammone's dedication to our community and passion for medicine by continuing to provide exceptional care."
Laguna Beach, CA: Neighborhood cam captures the moment Dr. Michael John Mammone (58) was struck by a vehicle and stabbed. The suspect Vanroy Evan Smith (39) of Long Beach was taken into custody for suspicion of murder. Knife found at the scene. No motive at this time. pic.twitter.com/1TIpfvkqz5
— DeL2000 (@DeL2000) February 3, 2023
He leaves behind his wife Julie, who works as a nurse in the same hospital, and their two boys, Nick and Jon. Julie claimed that the family was going through a "really difficult time" after the sad incident, according to the Daily Mail.
Dawn Aatwal, a cardiologist, stated, "That's the irony of this whole thing. If a patient was brought in his condition, he would have done everything he could to save that person. He has saved so many lives here, and he died very close to where he saved hundreds of lives."
Who is Vanroy Smith?
Vanroy "Evan" Smith is a father of two children, hails from Jamaica, and is connected to the Rastafarian Movement. He is divorced, and his employment status is recorded as unemployed on the booking sheet from the jail. Public documents reveal that Smith, who goes by the middle name Evan, filed for bankruptcy on behalf of his company in 2014, stating his assets as $18,788 and his liabilities as $34,668, as reported by the Orange County Register.
EACCS Bookkeeping and Tax, commonly known as Evans Income Tax, was created by Smith in Long Beach in 2016. He advertised the company on social media as a "full cycle accounting service provider" and a specialist in optimizing tax refunds. A lien was put on Smith's assets by the Small Business Administration in May 2020, according to records. As of 2023, Smith has been charged with the murder of an ER physician, a charge that if proven true at trial could result in a sentence of up to 26 years to life in prison.