PORT TOWNSEND — A Port Angeles man has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder while his alleged victim has been upgraded from critical to serious condition.
Donovan Smart, 21, who is out of custody on $100,000 bail, appeared in front of Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Keith Harper on Friday to enter his plea.
Trial is set for Jan. 6-9.
He is accused of stabbing Seattle resident Paul Arcadi, 46, once in the chest and several times in the upper back at the WorldMark Discovery Bay Resort at 141 Orcas Drive in Discovery Bay on Oct. 4.
Arcadi’s condition was upgraded after nearly a week in critical condition at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton.
“The doctors say that he has improved,” said hospital spokeswoman Jacquie Goodwill.
“We are thrilled about this and are very happy for him.”
Harper scheduled four court appearances for Smart: an omnibus hearing Nov. 22, a readiness hearing Dec. 13, a pretrial hearing Dec. 27 and a trial Jan. 6-9.
About 20 of Smart’s friends and family members were in the courtroom Friday.
Smart’s attorney, Ben Critchlow, said he understood that Smart’s phone was being held as evidence but requested the return of Smart’s wallet, a request Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chris Ashcraft did not oppose.
Ashcraft said his office hasn’t received any new information about the case beyond the initial report.
“We don’t know much about the case right now and haven’t had any chance to interview the victim,” Ashcraft said.
Ashcraft said Smart’s blood-alcohol level was taken a few hours after his arrest and registered 0.223 percent, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Ashcraft said in a probable-cause document filed with the court that Smart waived his Miranda rights during an interview with sheriff’s detectives and told them that he had stabbed Arcudi with a knife he found on a kitchen counter in the condo at the resort.
The statement described deputies’ accounts of the events of the night, which led from Port Angeles to Discovery Bay:
Arcudi was staying at the condominium resort with two of his employees, Timothy Vincent, 27, and Stephen Sibson, 23, both of Seattle.
The trio spent the evening of Oct. 3 at R Bar in Port Angeles, where they met Smart.
At 2 a.m. Oct. 4, the four left the bar and went to the condo.
During the ride, Smart made several remarks, including references to guns and rape, that concerned the others, Vincent and Sibson told police.
While Arcudi’s companions watched a movie upstairs, he and Smart remained downstairs in the living area.
About 15 minutes later, Vincent and Sibson said they heard thumping sounds and opened the door to find Arcudi “bleeding profusely from multiple wounds” and Smart standing close behind him.
Smart was pepper-sprayed by Arcudi’s friends, who called 9-1-1 and applied first aid to the injured man.
Officers arrived at about 3:28 a.m. and took Smart into custody.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Arwyn Rice contributed to this report.
