Arroyo Grande murder suspect obsessed over killing his victims

September 21, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

For more than a decade, a 35-year-old man voiced his obsession with murdering his former Arroyo Grande neighbors. He spent years under public guardianship with multiple stays in mental health facilities while the targets of his homicidal ideologies lived in fear.

On Wednesday evening, Fritz Schnoor broke into Joseph and Cynthia Giambalvo’s home, stabbed the husband and wife and then headed to another neighbor’s home were he was found sitting outside on a bloody curb. Cynthia Giambalvo, 74, later died from her injuries.

Schnoor grew up on Victoria Way in Arroyo Grande, across the street from the Giambalvos. A diagnosed schizophrenic, he often spoke of his obsession with killing the Giambalvos and others, according to a neighbor and a mental health worker.

In 2011, a man caught Schnoor attempting to steal a vehicle in Santa Margarita. While the man waited for deputies to arrive, he held Schnoor at gunpoint.

Schnoor told his captor he was planning to rape and kill then 19-year-old Jade Jackson, with plans to put her body in the trunk of the car, according to court records.

Convicted of trespassing and attempted vehicle theft, Schnoor went to jail and the court issued Jackson a temporary protection order.

After he was released from jail, Schnoor made a Facebook friend request to Jackson’s sister. Jackson filed for a new restraining order on June 4, 2014, but was told she needed to know Schnoor’s address.

She told the clerk he was on probation and the county had his address. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. The court dismissed Jackson’s request for a restraining order on June 27, 2014.

Shortly after 5 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2017, Schnoor climbed onto the Giambalvos’ roof. He then left and came back at 5:30 a.m., threw a brick through the couple’s sliding glass door and walked into the Giambalvos’ home. He took a computer from the guest room before officers arrived and removed him from the home.

Schnoor, who had a knife, told a case worker he planned to harm the Giambalvos, according to court records.

On the same day, Joseph Giambalvo filed for a restraining order against Schnoor. He was able to extend the restraining order four times.

During his frequent stays at the San Luis Obispo County Psychiatric Health Facility, Schnoor rarely spoke, but when he did it was often to discuss his plan to kill the Giambalvos, according to a health worker.

On Feb. 5, 2019, a judge approved a request to place Schnoor under public guardianship through San Luis Obispo County.

On Feb. 10, 2020, SLO County Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbera dismissed the Giambalvos’ protection order.

In July 2022, Schnoor’s mother sought and received a court ordered conservatorship of her son, and he was removed from SLO County public guardianship. By that time, his mother no longer lived on Victoria Way in Arroyo Grande.

Several months ago, Schnoor was admitted to the Psychiatric Mental Health Facility in San Luis Obispo for a temporary hold.

Shortly before midnight on Thursday, Schnoor again broke into the Giambalvos’ home. He stabbed the elderly couple before walking to Rogers Court, where he sat dripping blood on the curb in front of another neighbor’s home. Years earlier, he had banged on the Rogers Court home with a knife in his hand.

Officers arrested Schnoor early Friday morning and booked him in SLO County Jail on charges of murder, attempted murder and burglary. He is being held without bail.

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