FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – A man who was recently deemed mentally incompetent and has an “extensive recent arrest history” is accused of stabbing a woman in Farmington over 20 times just days after he was released from custody, according to the Farmington Police Department.
Officers responded to a reported stabbing at the Journey Inn on Aug. 7 around 6:30 a.m. and found a 69-year-old woman outside the hotel with over 20 stab wounds to her head, neck, and chest area.
The woman was taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center for treatment and was later airlifted to Albuquerque due to the severity of her injuries, police said.
Inside the hotel, officers found George Schwerin, 34, with a “significant amount” of blood on his clothing and took him into custody for the stabbing.
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe expressed frustration with the case, saying that Schwerin was released from custody on Aug. 1 after being deemed mentally incompetent in a case where he was arrested for drunk driving in a stolen vehicle in March 2025 and was released only to be arrested three more times for failing to appear in court.
In the stabbing case, Schwerin is charged with one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Hebbe issued the following statement in a news release:
“Here is another example of the failures within the New Mexico criminal justice system. This suspect was repeatedly released, despite failing to appear. He was finally adjudicated as incompetent, so the charges are all dismissed. Six days after his release, he stabs an innocent woman more than 20 times. She has barely survived. Every one of us should be sick of the repeated excuses, rationalizations, and denials that there is a problem. Competency is a huge issue when serious charges are simply dismissed as a result. Repeatedly failing to show up for court and getting released again is a disgrace. Finally, an innocent woman nearly stabbed to death should trigger a thorough review of our justice system to find out how this keeps happening. However, much like the disgusting double murder committed by Andrew Whittenberg, when he clearly should have still been in jail, I’m sure there will be NO reaction from the court system. No investigation to find out what went wrong, no new legislation to ensure victims and the public are protected, and no accountability for the repeated failures that lead to innocent New Mexicans being assaulted or killed. There is so much talk of accountability and transparency for police. That never seems to hold for the court system and legislators that fail to protect citizens!! This unfortunate victim, as so many victims across San Juan County and New Mexico, simply doesn’t have a voice.”
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe
Improving New Mexico’s criminal competency laws
The revolving door of justice involving mentally ill individuals is an issue that is seen across New Mexico and was the focus of a recent Larry Barker investigation.
Lawmakers are still attempting to tackle the issue and have made an effort to address it. During this year’s legislative session, they enacted reforms aimed at enhancing the state’s criminal competency laws. By providing more treatment options to mentally ill defendants, experts say the new legislation will enable the state’s criminal justice system to better respond to the mentally ill. However, it will likely take several years before the new legislation has a measurable impact on criminal incompetence.
Earlier this month, KRQE News 13 spoke to Sen. Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque), who is bringing back a proposal to change outdated laws surrounding civil commitment that didn’t make it across the finish line in the last legislative session.
To learn more about his plan, see our coverage here.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
