Police arrest suspect in stabbing of U. employee outside Wawa

Andre Shaw was arrested Friday after he was seen on College Green. After three weeks of searching for a suspect University Police had captured clearly on videotape but weren't able to locate, police arrested a 40-year-old Center City man Friday morning for the February 27 stabbing of a University groundskeeper at 38th and Spruce streets. The suspect, Andre Shaw, was arrested at about 11 a.m. Friday when a person who witnessed the stabbing saw Shaw walking around College Green and alerted the police, University Police Sgt. Thomas Rambo said. Shaw allegedly stabbed Broderick Barnville, 31, in the underarm, slicing a major artery. Barnville was still recovering yesterday from the huge loss of blood he suffered as a result of the incident, which occurred at about 7:15 a.m. Barnville is still unable to use his arm due to nerve damage and is currently out of work on sick leave, said Division of Facilities Services Hard Surfaces Superintendent Mike Ferraiolo, Barnville's boss. As of last night, Shaw had been arraigned on the charges and remained at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia because he was unable to post the $810 bond of the $8,000 bail that is necessary for his release, police said. Shaw is the last of several men fitting the description of the suspect in the incident to be stopped and investigated for the stabbing. All of the others have been released, police said. Detectives know little about Shaw besides his "semi-regular" status at the Wawa convenience store at 38th and Spruce streets and that he lives on the 1300 block of Pine Street, according to University Police Det. Commander Tom King. Residents of the block, near the University of the Arts, described the area as "a little bit sketchy." "There's a lot of characters walking around here -- it's definitely diverse," said Jody Hyman, a resident on Shaw's block. "I try not to hang around on my corner." Hyman said she did not remember ever seeing Shaw. Police originally believed that Shaw could be a panhandler or a drug rehabilitation patient at a nearby hospital and was probably homeless, making it difficult to track him down. But King said Friday that he did not believe Shaw to be any of those. Unlike many Wawa "regulars," he was not a patient at the nearby Veterans Affairs Hospital's methadone clinic, King said. King said police were not sure of Shaw's occupation, whether he had a criminal record or why he allegedly stabbed Barnville with a pocket knife after Barnville escorted him outside the store for attempting to steal a pack of cigarettes. Some witnesses said they saw Barnville "take swings" at Shaw after escorting him outside the store, giving him more reason to react violently. But witnesses also said that after allegedly stabbing Barnville, Shaw fled the scene slowly, walking south on 38th Street without any sign of disturbance. Many took that as a sign that he was mentally ill. Ferraiolo said Barnville, who underwent a second surgery last week to repair the nerve damage, "looks good" and is in good spirits. Barnville has not responded to repeated requests for comment over the last week.