From ‘hero’ to stabbing suspect, Snohomish teen shows remorse

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 21, 2019

SNOHOMISH — A Snohomish man reportedly said he wanted to be “the hero.”

Instead, he was arrested, and is now being investigated for a stabbing in Snohomish that sent a 31-year-old man to the emergency room.

The suspect, 19, told Snohomish police he had helped a friend lock up the Alfy’s Pizza restaurant in the early morning of June 7. After getting snacks from the 7-Eleven across the street, he noticed a man rummaging through the dumpster outside Alfy’s.

He parted ways with his friend and went to see what was happening.

The teenager asked what the man was doing. Then, in the teen’s version of events, the man turned around and swung a knife at him.

The younger man reportedly told police he took out a small throwing blade and stabbed his supposed assailant three times in the chest, and struck him once more in the head. By the end of the fight, the teen recounted, the older man was curled up in a ball.

The injured man was treated for his wounds at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. He said he had been hit in the chest, arm and head. He discharged himself from the emergency room the same day.

He told an officer he was looking for cigarette butts when the teenager came up behind him and attacked.

In the report, the officer noted the older man was known to be homeless and addicted to drugs, and that Snohomish police received calls about him regularly.

After the incident, the teenager ran. Police couldn’t find him that night, but later identified his friend using security footage at the 7-Eleven.

On Saturday, the suspect showed up to the Snohomish Police Department, ready to talk. He was nervous and “on the verge of sobbing” when he recalled the encounter in an interview, according to court papers.

He told police that he was remorseful, and that he wished he would’ve minded his own business, according to documents.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of first-degree assault.

Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.