Prosecutors say a Clallam County delivery driver was knifed and carjacked after stopping to help two adults and seven children.
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — A 60-year-old DoorDash driver was stabbed multiple times and his SUV stolen after he picked up a couple and their seven children along Highway 101 near Sequim on Oct. 19, authorities said, triggering arrests the next morning and charges including attempted murder.
The case has moved quickly from roadside attack to courtroom. Prosecutors in Clallam County have charged Nicholas Well and his wife, Rosario Lopez-Castro, with second-degree attempted murder and related felonies. Well remained jailed on $750,000 bail after a first appearance Thursday, and prosecutors signaled more proceedings are imminent. The victim, identified as Melvin Swagerty of Port Angeles, survived emergency surgery and says he has returned to light work while he continues physical therapy. The couple’s seven children, ages roughly four months to 9 years, were recovered unharmed, officials said.
Investigators say Swagerty was driving east on Highway 101 around 8 p.m. Oct. 19 when he saw the family on the shoulder and offered them a ride toward Sequim. As he turned onto Carlsborg Road near a fire station, the man in his front passenger seat allegedly began stabbing him in the neck, face and upper body while the woman sat with the children in the back seat. Bleeding heavily, Swagerty either fell or was forced from the vehicle. A motorist behind him called 911 and stayed until responders arrived. “Considering the fact I almost died, yes,” Swagerty said when asked if he regretted stopping, adding that nightmares have followed the attack. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and survived what doctors described as a near-fatal trauma.
Court records describe a brief manhunt that ended about eight hours later on Oct. 20, when Kitsap County deputies located Swagerty’s Lexus SUV near Port Orchard with the family still inside. Prosecutors allege Well tried to kill Swagerty to take the vehicle and that Lopez-Castro acted as an accomplice. In a summary read in open court, a prosecutor said the assailant “stabbed and sliced” the victim before leaving him on the roadside. Swagerty, who had 47 surgical staples removed in early November, told reporters he wants nothing to do with the SUV now labeled a biohazard because of the blood inside. Authorities have not detailed how the family reached Highway 101 earlier that night or where they were headed. No additional suspects are sought.
Local officials say the attack rattled a community that sits at the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. Clallam County deputies initially labeled the incident a carjacking and assault; by Oct. 23, the case included warrants for attempted murder and robbery as agencies coordinated across counties. Similar roadside assaults are rare in the area, but the corridor has seen periodic vehicle thefts and felony stops, according to past sheriff’s summaries. In interviews, relatives and neighbors described Swagerty as a longtime delivery driver who often worked evenings between Port Angeles and Sequim. Records also show the children were taken into protective care after the arrest, standard procedure when parents are jailed on violent felony allegations.
Well made his first appearance Thursday, Nov. 13, in Clallam County Superior Court, where a judge kept bail at $750,000 and set a formal arraignment for Monday, Nov. 17. Prosecutors also filed a sentencing enhancement alleging the crimes targeted a Good Samaritan. Lopez-Castro was scheduled for a separate court appearance Friday, Nov. 14. Additional hearings in Kitsap County could address any charges tied to the recovery of the vehicle. Officials said they will continue to review 911 calls, dash and body camera video, and interviews with motorists who witnessed the roadside struggle. No trial date has been set.
Outside the courthouse, Swagerty thanked the driver who stopped to help and the medical team that treated him. “Everybody was surprised and shocked to see me out and about on my first dash on Saturday,” he said, noting he has scaled back deliveries while focusing on recovery. His brother has been by his side, and community members have offered support. At the scene near Carlsborg Road, faint bloodstains and skid marks were still visible days later, neighbors said, with traffic slowing as drivers pointed to the fire station corner where the attack unfolded.
As of Friday, Nov. 14, both defendants remained in custody and the case was being prepared for Monday’s arraignment. Investigators plan to release additional records after the hearing and said victim and witness statements will shape the final charging decisions.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2025.