UPDATE (September 24, 2025):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The man found guilty of stabbing and killing a Kroger employee at the Waynedale store will spend the next 65 years in prison. Judge Fran Gull handed that sentence down on Tuesday to Jermard Lewis and said it was the maximum time she could sentence him.
Lewis and Kroger employee Perla Nieto had an altercation on December 7th, 2023, a half-hour before he attacked her. He admitted on the stand to stabbing her “enough times not to care.”
Read more local reporting here
UPDATE (December 28, 2023):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Documents in Allen Superior Court indicate 31-year-old Jermard Lewis of Fort Wayne might claim insanity as his defense.
Lewis is charged in the stabbing death of a Kroger employee this month. He is accused of grabbing 59-year-old Perla Nieto from behind and stabbing her several times.
Read more here
UPDATE (December 11, 2023):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Allen County Coroner has identified the woman tragically murdered while she was working at the Waynedale Kroger. The coroner says that Perla Nieto died from stab wounds to her head when she was attacked on Thursday.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office released the following:
On Thursday, December 7th, 2023, at about 11:00 hours the Allen County Coroner’s Office was notified of a stabbing located in the 7000 block of Bluffton Road, in Fort Wayne. The victim was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased.
The victim has been identified as Perla A. Nieto, female, Hispanic, 59 years of age, from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The autopsy has been completed and notification has been made to the next of kin. The Cause of Death is Stab Wounds of Head, and the Manner of Death is Homicide.
Perla A. Nieto is the 27th homicide for Allen County in 2023.
The incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
The Waynedale community of Fort Wayne is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Perla Nieto, a beloved employee at the Waynedale Kroger store, who was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack while on duty. A candlelight vigil was held Friday to remember Perla and to offer support to her family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating event.
Waynedale News released the following ahead of a vigil held over the weekend:
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Perla, a member of our community who was taken from us far too soon. This vigil is a chance for us to gather in her memory, to comfort one another in our grief, and to stand united against violence,” said the staff of The Waynedale News, who are working with community members to organize the event.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Perla’s family and friends during this difficult time. The community’s outpouring of love and support is a testament to the impact Perla had on all of us.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Fort Wayne Police Department officials say that an arrest was made Thursday afternoon – just hours after a Kroger employee was stabbed to death.
Police say that 30-year-old Jermard J. Lewis initially went into the Kroger store on Bluffton Road around 10:30 a.m. and was involved in some kind of disturbance with staff. Witnesses reported that he threatened workers at the time. Police were called but he left.
Police say Lewis returned around a half hour later and stabbed a female cashier. The suspect took off and despite life-saving efforts, the cashier was pronounced dead at the hospital. Lewis is now charged with murder.
The FWPD released the following initially following the attack:
The Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred today at roughly 11:06 AM at Kroger located at 7008 Bluffton Rd. According to witness accounts and preliminary information; a prior disturbance occurred at Kroger at 10:31 AM with the suspect threatening staff. The suspect left and police were disregarded. The suspect, an adult male, returned to the store a short time later and stabbed an adult female employee, fleeing in a vehicle. Kroger staff rendered aid to the victim, until police arrived who took over life saving measures, until relived by medics. The victim was transported to a local hospital in life threatening condition and later succumbed to her injuries.
Officers and Detectives are exhausting every lead to identify and locate the suspect. This appears to be a targeted incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public. The Coroner’s Office will release the cause and manner of death, along with the victim’s identity. This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Coroner’s Office.
The FWPD released the following after Lewis was in custody:
On 12/07/2023, FWPD Officers responded to a stabbing investigation at Kroger located at 7008 Bluffton Rd. Upon arrival, Officers located a single female victim suffering from apparent stab wound(s). Life-saving measures were attempted, but the female victim was later pronounced deceased. FWPD Homicide Detectives responded and conducted an exhaustive investigation, and Jermard J. Lewis 30yo was taken into custody within four hours. Jermard J. Lewis is charged with Murder and is currently confined at the Allen County Jail. The Homicide Unit was assisted by: Uniform Operations, the Gang and Violent Crimes Unit, the Vice and Narcotics Unit, the Areial Support Unit and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office. Without this dedicated partnership, we would not have been able to identify, locate and arrest this violent offender. The FWPD wants to stress that the investigation revealed this was an isolated and targeted attack, and there is no further danger to the public.
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