Crime & Safety

San Mateo Man Accused of Stabbing Mother Delays Entering Plea

The 52-year-old San Mateo man allegedly stabbed his mother after she found him surrounded by knives.

A 52-year-old San Mateo man who allegedly stabbed his mother with a serrated kitchen knife earlier this month remains in custody without bail, prosecutors said Friday.


John Jacobberger was arrested Aug. 12 after the stabbing incident. He was due in court Thursday for his initial felony arraignment on charges of attempted murder, but the case was continued to Monday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing at 51 W. Fourth Avenue at about 3:35 p.m. Aug. 12 and found a woman -- Jacobberger's 76-year-old mother -- lying on the ground outside an apartment on the second floor suffering from an apparent stab wound, San Mateo police said.

Jacobberger's mother had apparently gone to check on him and found him in his apartment agitated and "surrounded by knives," District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

His mother tried to calm him down, but he allegedly picked up a large, serrated kitchen knife and stabbed her in the chest and upper arm.

Neighbors intervened and called the police. Jacobberger was allegedly acting incoherently when police arrested him.

Jacobberger remains in custody without bail, and is being represented by the Private Defender Program.

Prosecutors have said Jacobberger has "mental health issues" but did not provide further details.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.