The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office announced that 38-year-old Michael Pitts pled guilty to aggravated robbery and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The incident occurred on May 1, 2024, at a Kroger grocery store on Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth. Pitts stabbed 21-year-old cashier Mariah Smith in the abdomen during the robbery. Smith spent eight days in the hospital and underwent emergency surgery to remove her spleen, one of her kidneys, and part of her pancreas. She continues to face lingering health issues from the attack.
Smith recounted the robbery in an interview with WFAA. While assisting a customer at her register, Pitts approached her from behind and issued a quiet demand:
“He’s like, ‘Open the register or I'm gonna stab you,’” Smith said. Initially confused, she asked, “Are you serious?” Realizing the threat was real, Smith attempted to open the locked register, but the system wouldn’t allow it due to her ongoing transaction.
As panic set in, Smith turned around, and Pitts stabbed her in the stomach. She ran to the front of the store, bloodied, yelling for help. Several coworkers came to her aid, trying to stop the bleeding and calling 911.
“It was just so much pain,” Smith said. “I was asking my coworker, ‘Am I gonna die?’ I was just really afraid.”
In the courtroom, Smith directly addressed Pitts during allocution, saying, “I believe your choice was egregious and selfish.”
The Fort Worth Police Department handled the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Hilary Wright, with victim coordinators Elizabeth Garcia and Cristina Rangel providing support to Smith throughout the proceedings.
