MEDFORD, Ore.– New information is being discovered about the woman stabbed earlier this week by a teenage family member in a West Medford apartment complex.
The attack occurred early Monday morning in an apartment on Western Avenue. Not many details are being released but the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office says two teenagers – ages 14 and 13 – stabbed a family member multiple times. According to investigators, they determined one of the kids stabbed the woman and the other was involved in planning and committing the stabbing.
Multiple sources tell us it happened at the Ish Ranch Estates.
NBC5 News spoke with a family member who identified the victim as the teens’ mother. The source confirmed the victim had three daughters – ages 14, 13, and 9. The mother has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at this time. The DA’s office previously stated there was a third, young child in the house at the time of the incident but was not tied to the stabbing.
The two teens are being charged with attempted murder and assault and are currently being held in Jackson County Juvenile Detention.
“It’s a little bit different of a process but juveniles really have the same rights that adults do,” said Ruby Herriott, deputy district attorney.
Herriott, who is covering the case, declined to speak further on specifics. She did say the two teenagers will be tried in juvenile court. Only in rare circumstances could a minor – especially under 15 – be tried as an adult.
“Murder, aggravated murder, rape, sodomy, and unlawful sexual penetration – all of those in the first degree,” said Herriott, describing Oregon law 419C.352 that would constitute charging the teenagers as adults.
In this case, the charges do no reach those circumstances.
“When you don’t have one of those crimes they go through juvenile court like any other juvenile case would,” said Herriott.
The DA’s office says when kids get placed in detention they will get a review hearing every 10 business days. That will decide if it’s safe to release them. However, more information on what will come of these teenagers and the charges brought against them will have to wait until a pre-trial conference scheduled for February 7.
If both attorneys and prosecutors agree to move forward, a trial will be set before a judge soon after.
The two teenagers were arraigned earlier in the week and both denied the charges brought against them.
NBC5 News has identified the mother but has chosen not to name her in order to protect her and the identities of the minors. We attempted to contact her for more information but did not receive a callback.
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