LYNNWOOD — A man who was stabbed at the Alderwood mall on Christmas Eve had been trying to break up a fight. He told the people fighting that there were kids around and, “It’s Christmas.”

In response, he was punched in the face and then stabbed in the back, court records show. His stab wound was about 4 inches wide.

The victim, described as being in his 30s, suffered critical injuries. He was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He has since been released, according to police.

The suspect, 19, remains at the Snohomish County Jail. He is being held on $250,000 bail for investigation of first-degree assault. His mother told police he is developmentally disabled.

The teen has previous arrest history. He pleaded guilty in early 2016 to misdemeanor assault. He initially had been charged with burglary in that case. A jail sentence of nearly a year was suspended.

The fight occurred near the J. C. Penney store about 5 p.m. At first, people told 911 there was a shooting inside the mall, which prompted a large police response. Mall security detained the 19-year-old, who had been tackled by passersby, and the man he had been fighting with.

The teen requested a lawyer and declined to speak with the detectives. A folding knife reportedly was found in his pocket.

The other man involved in the fight said he and the teen used to work together selling crack cocaine about two years earlier. The man said he was under the impression they had settled a disagreement back then over $50. The man said he had forgotten about the money until receiving a Facebook message from the teen about two months ago.

Then they ran each other into at the mall. Charges have not been filed.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.