LYNNWOOD — A woman struck an 80-year-old man in the head with a shovel to save an injured woman Monday morning, after he allegedly stabbed her with a “homemade knife,” according to court records.
The injured woman, 61, needed surgery and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle but is expected to survive, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. She was a manager at the mobile home park where the man lived, in the 14300 block of Admiralty Way.
Recently the man was accused of cutting a hole in a fence at the park and was about to be evicted because of it. He reportedly blamed the woman he stabbed.
The suspect has been arrested for investigation of two counts of first-degree assault. He is being held at the Snohomish County Jail.
Around 9 a.m. Friday, the two women were inside the park’s management office and noticed the suspect sleeping on a bench outside. One of the women was headed home but thought the man was acting strange. Her house was in view of the office. She left her phone number with the other woman, documents say.
“Seconds” after the woman entered her house, she received a call from the other woman who said she was afraid the man was going to harm her, records show.
The woman returned to the office, and once inside reportedly saw the other woman with her back on the ground and the man on top of her, “holding a knife above his head.” He is described in court papers as 5-foot-9-inches tall and 180 pounds.
The woman witnessing the incident grabbed the man by the shirt collar and pulled him off. She found a shovel outside the office and hit the knife out of his hand.
As he went to retrieve it, the woman tried to move the other woman away from the office.
He reportedly retrieved the knife before they were able to get outside. The woman again hit it out of his hand and threw a chair his way, according to a deputy’s report.
The suspect allegedly told the woman, “Back off you’re next!” He got hold of the knife again and was headed back toward the wounded woman, court papers say.
At that point the other woman hit him in the head with the shovel. He fell. She was able to get away with the injured woman.
Around 10:30 a.m., two brothers nearby heard screams for help and went to see what was happening. They tended to the woman’s injuries until deputies arrived, according to documents.
She had wounds to her hands, knee, chest and shoulder area, records show.
One of the men looked inside the office and saw the suspect, who didn’t say anything. Based on his eyes, the man “did not appear all there,” the witness said, possibly because of a head injury.
In an interview with a detective, the suspect said he retrieved the knife from his closet that morning. Its handle was made of maple wood and the blade was an old saw blade about 6 inches long, court papers say.
He told the detective he intended to kill the woman, though he denied stabbing her. He also reportedly said he had drunk alcohol beforehand. His blood was drawn for testing.
He was taken to a hospital, treated for minor injuries and later discharged. He was booked into jail around 4 p.m. Monday.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
Correction: This story has been modified to correct the time of the alleged assault and the type of residence where it happened.
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