Man accused in deadly Arroyo Grande stabbing broke into couple’s home in 2017
The Oceano resident who broke into an Arroyo Grande couple’s home Thursday night and stabbed them — killing the wife and injuring the husband — apparently broke into their home with a knife in 2017, court records show.
Fritz Schnoor, 35, was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and burglary after he allegedly broke into 74-year-old Cynthia and 71-year-old Joseph Giambalvo’s home late Thursday evening.
Both Giambalvos were stabbed, and Cynthia Giambalvo died of her injuries at the hospital on Friday, Arroyo Grande police Cmdr. Zak Ayala confirmed to the Tribune.
Joseph Giambalvo has been released from the hospital, Ayala said.
Court records show Schnoor has a history of severe mental illness, with a criminal record that dates back to 2011. He was put under a conservatorship with the Public Guardian’s Office in 2019.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed formal charges against Schnoor, records show. Schnoor was in San Luis Obispo County Jail custody without bail as of Monday.
Suspected allegedly broke into victim’s home before ‘with intent to harm,’ records show
Eight years ago, the Giambalvos filed a restraining order against Schnoor, who was living across the street from them at the time, in 2017, according to court records.
Schnoor allegedly climbed onto their roof at 5:15 a.m. one morning, then threw a brick through their sliding glass door around 5:30 a.m., the restraining order petition said.
Schnoor then entered the Giambalvos’ home, went into their guest room and took their laptop, the petition said. Police came and removed Schnoor from the home and found that Schnoor also had a knife.
Schnoor’s caseworker Pam, whose last name was not listed in the petition, evaluated Schnoor and found that he had the intention to harm the Giambalvos with the knife, the petition said.
A criminal case was filed against Schnoor in relation to the 2017 break-in, and he eventually pleaded no contest to unauthorized entry of a building and vandalism. Court records show Schnoor was in the custody of San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health immediately after his arrest.
A temporary restraining order was issued, records show, but the matter was vacated in 2020 after mail informing Schnoor of the hearing for the permanent order was repeatedly returned. Schnoor was charged with contempt of court in 2018 because of his avoidance of being served the restraining order, but that case was ultimately dismissed, records show.
The court did grant a restraining order to protect the Giambalvos, records show, but that order expired in 2021.
Schnoor pleaded guilty to violating the Giambalvos’ restraining order in 2018, records show.
In all, three criminal cases filed against Schnoor from 2017 to 2018, he was found incompetent to stand trial, court records show. He was eventually referred to the Public Guardian’s Office for an LPS conservatorship in 2019.
LPS conservatorships are assigned to people who are so severely mentally ill they cannot take care of themselves and are deemed “gravely disabled.”
Schnoor’s conservatorship renewal petition was withdrawn in 2022 and he was released to the custody of his mother, court records show.
Suspect accused of threatening to rape, kill SLO County woman, records show
Court records show Schnoor was accused of threatening to rape and kill a Santa Margarita woman in 2011.
The 22-year-old woman filed a restraining order on behalf of herself, her two 46-year-old parents, 24-year-old brother and her 17-year-old sister against Schnoor in 2014 as a previous restraining order, filed in 2011, was set to expire.
The 2011 restraining order was filed when Schnoor attempted to steal a car and was caught and held at gunpoint by a man for 15 minutes until police arrived, the petition said. That man told the family that Schnoor was planning to come to Santa Margarita to steal a car, rape and kill the then-19-year-old woman and put her body in a trunk, the 2014 petition said.
Records show Schnoor pleaded no contest to unlawful taking a vehicle and trespassing in relation the the incident.
In two other separate incidents in 2011, he also pleaded no contest to assault on a police officer and vandalism.
The petition said both the family and Schnoor would attend the same singer-songwriter events in Santa Margarita.
Records show Schnoor allegedly attempted to contact the woman on Facebook in 2014 following his release from jail, which prompted her to file the second restraining order petition against him.
The petition said the man that held Schnoor at gunpoint reported that Schnoor had “multiple personalities.” The family also claimed Schnoor was “schizophrenic,” according to the petition.
The petition requested Schnoor stay “as many as allowed” yards away from the family, adding “he should not be in Santa Margarita AT ALL,” with “at all” underlined.
While a temporary restraining order was initially granted, requiring Schnoor stay 50 yards away, the matter was dismissed about a month after the petition was filed, court records show.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM.
