Fayetteville, N.C. — Stanton Moretti Jr. made his first court appearance Thursday to face murder charges in the death of a man who had tried to rob his wife.

Moretti, 41, of 119 Raymond St., was denied bond in a case that began outside Primo Pizza on Yadkin Road Friday night. He will be held at the Cumberland County Detention Center until his next court date, scheduled for March 19.

According to police, Moretti's wife, Anna Moretti, was outside the pizzeria when Aaron McLeod approached her and tried to rob and stab her. Anna Moretti called out to her husband, who came outside and fired two warning shots from a handgun he carried, police said.

McLeod fled on foot down Horseshoe Road, and Stanton Moretti got into his GMC Yukon, caught up to McLeod and struck him three times with his vehicle, police said.

Investigators declined to say whether they found a knife on McLeod, but Stanton Moretti's attorney, Michael Boose, said a knife was found at the scene.

McLeod, 28, of 412 Horseshoe Road, died Monday at UNC Hospitals.

Stanton Moretti chased McLeod in order to subdue him, Boose said. Moretti had been assaulted in the past and the suspects got away, Boose said, and he didn't want that to happen again.

Arrest documents cited previous assault charges against Morretti to describe him as a danger to the public.