One of the victims in a stabbing Tuesday afternoon at a Hazel Dell apartment was stabbed in the head and a piece of the knife blade penetrated her skull, requiring surgery to remove it, according to court records.
That victim, 20-year-old Sreykat Sokunna, remained hospitalized Wednesday but was in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Sokunna also suffered cuts to her hand after her boyfriend, Sankara Etienne, 24, allegedly attacked her and her stepfather, Sean Higgins, 50, at their apartment. Higgins also suffered cuts to his hand and a head injury, court documents show.
Etienne appeared Wednesday morning in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping and vehicular assault. Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Foerster said additional charges are likely, including first-degree burglary and a felony violation of a no-contact order.
Foerster told the court that Higgins had an anti-harassment order in place against Etienne.
Court records indicate that Etienne previously lived in Florida but has been in the area for about three months, Foerster said. He appeared in court wearing a suicide-prevention smock, given to inmates who may try to harm themselves with standard jail clothing.
Foerster argued Etienne is a significant danger to the community and asked that his bail be set at $1 million. Judge Derek Vanderwood agreed.
Etienne will be arraigned Feb. 14.
Clark County sheriff’s deputies were called about 3:20 p.m. to the Bridge Creek Apartments, at 9211 N.E. 15th Ave., for a domestic disturbance with a weapon.
Higgins told deputies he awoke to find Sokunna and Etienne physically fighting in his apartment. Higgins tried to intervene, but Etienne armed himself with a kitchen knife and slashed Higgins’ hand, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
Etienne then took the knife to Sokunna’s bedroom and closed the door. Higgins said he heard Sokunna screaming, opened the door and saw Etienne on top of her trying to stab her in the head and face, the affidavit states.
The three struggled, until Etienne grabbed a glass bottle and struck Higgins over the head. Higgins ran from the apartment, but Etienne followed him, court records said.
Higgins then saw Etienne accost a woman driving a minivan in the parking lot. The driver, Shelby Griffith, told deputies that Etienne opened her driver’s side door and climbed onto her lap. Etienne tried to push Griffith out of the moving vehicle, she said, and accelerated through the parking lot as they struggled over control of the minivan, according to the court document.
Griffith tried to get out, she said, but became entangled in the seat belt. She dove out of the minivan as it careened across Northeast 94th Street and down an embankment into a retention pond, court records said. Griffith was severely injured, deputies said, and was transported to a local hospital, where she received multiple staples.
Etienne ran from the minivan and barricaded himself in a parked vehicle. Deputies forced their way inside and detained him, the affidavit said.
The stabbing is being investigated by the Major Crimes Unit.
