Armless Miami Homeless Man Used Feet To Stab Chicago Tourist, Charged

A Miami street artist with no arms was arrested by the police for stabbing a tourist, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

Jonathan Crenshaw, 46, is homeless and a regular at South Beach. Crenshaw, who is armless, paints on canvas on Lincoln Road Mall using his feet, thereby earning the appreciation of passersby and tourists.

The artist has spent years near South Beach, although, on Tuesday, just after midnight, police said a 22- year-old tourist was stabbed by Crenshaw.

The homeless man, they said, used a pair of scissors with his feet and stabbed Cesar Coronado from Chicago, who was visiting Miami Beach.

According to the Miami Herald, the arrest report stated Crenshaw claimed it was in self defense. He said he was lying down when the tourist approached him and punched him in the head.

Crenshaw then stabbed Coronado twice with the scissors before putting it back into his waistband and fleeing the scene.

Coronado was found by Miami Beach officers bleeding from his left arm, lying on the ground and was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center by paramedics.

However, Coronado’s friend Cindy Barrientos, also 22 years of age and visiting from Chicago, said the former was simply asking the homeless man for directions when he was suddenly stabbed. Coronado revealed a similar account of the events.

Crenshaw was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, when police caught up with him nearby in the 200 block of Lincoln Road, according to the Miami Herald report, which also stated he is currently being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond with a court date scheduled for July 18.

According to a Miami New Times report – the publication had profiled him as an artist in 2011 – Crenshaw’s run-ins with law dates back to at least 2008. Those charges include trespassing, disorderly intoxication and multiple charges of battery on police officers.

Although, they weren’t able to get very many details of his background back then, or how he lost his arms, he said he blamed city officials for pestering him to get permits in order to paint on the busy pedestrian mall. Crenshaw said tourists would buy his work for $60 back then, nearly all of which featured eyes as a regular theme.

"I might sell one for less if I've been carrying it around for a few days and I'm sick of it."

The Miami New Times also mentioned that back then Crenshaw seemed troubled.

"Sometimes I wish I were dead," he said, the publication reported. "I'm not trying to kill myself or anything. But then I wouldn't have to suffer."