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Circus Worker Killed

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The Associated Press

Published: July 11, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa - Police have arrested a Florida woman who apparently followed her ex-husband across the country and then stabbed him repeatedly inside a Davenport mall where he was working for a traveling circus set up in the parking lot.

Debi Joy Droguett Olson, 53, of Sarasota, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder and willful injury in the death of 52-year-old Mauricio Droguett, said Capt. David Struckman.

"It's a classic case of rage, of hate for someone; it's very personal," he said. "She definitely stalked this man."

Olson acknowledged her role to investigators after the attack, and Struckman said she was "very cooperative, really."

He said Mauricio Droguett was walking inside the NorthPark Mall about 7:30 a.m. Thursday when he was stabbed more than 10 times on the front and back sides of his body. One of his circus co-workers reportedly subdued Olson until police arrived.

That man suffered minor injuries, Struckman said.

Authorities said Mauricio Droguett worked for Carson & Barnes Family Circus, a traveling circus based in Sarasota. He had gotten restraining orders against his ex-wife in at least three states, but assistant county attorney Jerry Feuerbach couldn't confirm which states.

He said the couple were married for about 20 years before divorcing a few years ago. They had no known local connection other than that Mauricio Droguett was working in the area.

Feuerbach said the circus employees had arrived in Davenport early Thursday.

Struckman said Olson had parked her vehicle where her ex-husband wouldn't see it, and apparently waited at a loading dock where she had a vantage point of the traveling circus set up in the mall's parking lot.

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