Washington Delivery Driver Stabbed After Offering Ride to Family of Nine

A DoorDash driver from Clallam County, Washington, was hospitalized after allegedly being stabbed in the neck by a couple he offered a ride to.

Good Samaritan Attacked on DoorDash Route

Authorities say 60-year-old Melvin Swagerty stopped to help a couple and their seven children walking along Highway 101, not realizing the encounter would turn violent.

Swagerty’s daughter, Christina Brown, said her father was simply trying to help. “My dad was just trying to be kind and a good Samaritan,” Brown said. Shortly after picking them up near Sequim, police say Nicholas Well began attacking Swagerty, stabbing him in the neck and causing him to fall from the moving vehicle.

Suspects Found Unconscious with Children in Vehicle

Deputies later found Well and his partner, Rosario Lopez Castro, passed out inside Swagerty’s stolen car in rural Kitsap County. Investigators reported blood on the front seat and said the couple’s seven children—ranging in age from six months to nine years—were also inside, some without proper clothing or car seats.

During a court appearance, Lopez Castro appeared distraught as the judge issued no-contact orders involving all seven children. Her stepfather, Henry Peralta, expressed sorrow over the situation, suggesting the couple’s troubled relationship may have played a role in the incident.

Victim’s Family Seeks Support During Recovery

Brown said her father faces a long road to recovery and hopes the community will rally around him. “He’s lost so much because of this attack,” she said. The family has launched a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.

Bail was set at $500,000 for Well and $100,000 for Lopez Castro. Well may also face attempted murder charges in Clallam County. Child Protective Services has placed the children in safe homes.

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