2 teens charged with assault in violent West Seattle stabbing
Teens arrested in violent Seattle stabbing
Two teens accused of violently stabbing a 17-year-old are now facing attempted murder charges, with a judge calling them a serious threat to the community.
SEATTLE - Two teenagers from Snohomish County, accused of violently stabbing a 17-year-old girl, have been charged with assault using a deadly weapon. The violent attack happened on July 5 in West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood.
The teen suspects, a 15-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl, appeared before a judge for their respective probable cause hearings at the Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle on Wednesday. Their parents were present for the hearings as a judge said both suspects posed "a serious threat to public safety."
On Friday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged the 17-year-old as an adult with first-degree assault. Prosecutors also confirmed the 15-year-old was charged with first-degree assault. Both suspects are scheduled for arraignment on Monday, July 14, where they will enter a guilty or not guilty plea.
According to court documents, the teens are accused of stabbing the victim 14 times, with six of the stab wounds being to the face. There was probable cause for an additional charge of second-degree attempted murder for the 15-year-old, prosecutors said.
Family Speaks Out:
Jasmine Goodwin is the victim’s sister. The 17-year-old victim is the youngest child in the family and is known to tell jokes and make people smile. Goodwin said the family was overcome with shock and disbelief when they heard about the attack.
"There’s nothing that prepares you for this phone call. Nothing," said Goodwin. "There has never been anything like this that has happened to our family."
Goodwin’s sister has been living in the Delridge neighborhood for only a couple of months, staying with her 83-year-old grandfather at his home. The teen is caring for him as the elder recovers from multiple surgeries.
Goodwin said that in her sister’s short time of living in the neighborhood, she met the two teen suspects at a career training program, befriended them, and invited them over to her grandfather’s house.
"It sounds like that evening, they returned, entered through the back door, locked the door behind them so my sister could not get out, some confrontation occurred, and next thing my sister knows she’s being stabbed. She was stabbed several times in the face, through the cheek, on her chin, on her head, in her neck, all over her body," said Goodwin.
Goodwin said somehow her little sister managed to escape the attackers by running upstairs and locking the door behind her to prevent them from reaching her grandfather. But the injured teen instantly collapsed in the house as she was quickly losing blood. Goodwin said her elderly grandfather could only yell for help due to his limited mobility from surgery.
"He heard her scream just the most blood curling scream that he’s ever heard ever," said Goodwin. "If he didn’t yell back and help scare them away, and if he had not been here to call 911 for her, the blood loss probably would have taken her life."
The teen has been hospitalized ever since first responders rushed in to save her life that night. However, blood from her injuries is still pooled on the walls and floors of her grandfather’s house. Goodwin and her family launched an online GoFundMe fundraiser to collect money to pay for professional cleaners suggested by the Seattle Police Department.
"He’s just living in this until we’re able to have enough money to bring in the cleaners. But on top of that, he’s emotionally and psychologically traumatized. He was sitting there with his granddaughter who’s bleeding out on his floor," said Goodwin. "He doesn’t deserve to have to pay literally for what these criminals did to not only his home, but to his granddaughter."
The Seattle Police Department said officers arrested both teen suspects in Marysville on July 8.
A judge ordered the suspects to be held in secured detention at King County’s youth detention facility. As the investigation develops, a judge explained there is the possibility of additional charges. Prosecutors have until Friday to make those filings.
Since the female suspect is 17 years old, the judge explained the possibility of her case moving to adult court due to her age and severity of the crime she is accused of. The prosecutor's office confirmed on Friday the teen would be charged as an adult.
"Substantial criminal penalties, as well, far beyond those that are available in juvenile court," the judge explained.
"There’s also a part of hearts that are breaking for those families now," Goodwin said of the suspects. "I hope that they just take accountability for their actions. I think that will be the best for everybody to heal."
Healing will be a long journey for Goodwin’s little sister. Though the teen is recovering, Goodwin said there is uncertainty about what her future holds.
"We don’t know what her new normal is going to look like," said Goodwin. "Is her face going to start to work again on one side? Are the scars going to be? Are her emotional scars going to heal? Is she going to trust people again?"
The Source: This story was updated to reflect charges against the suspects. Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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