A teenager is facing attempted homicide charges for allegedly stabbing a man in Mahanoy City last week during a drug sale.
NOTE: The teen charged in this story is not named due to being a juvenile.
According to court documents, on the morning of Thursday, October 26th, 2023, Mahanoy City Police received an EMS advisory around 3:30am of a male bleeding from a stab wound in the area of West Centre Street and Catawissa Street.
Police arrived along with officers from Shenandoah and found a male victim lying on the sidewalk near Truskowsky's Funeral Home, at Catawissa and Market Streets, bleeding heavily from the abdominal area and head. Further examination found a laceration to his head and a deep stab wound to his back.
During the initial questioning, the victim told police he was stabbed when he met with another male on Railroad Street behind the Family Dollar to return a cell phone.
The victim was transported by Shenandoah EMS to a landing zone and flown to an area hospital for his injuries.
During further questioning with witnesses, officers learned that the victim was trying to "get rid of" a small amount of marijuana prior to the incident.
On Friday, Mahanoy City Police Chief Thomas Rentschler and Ptlm. Rachel Lenar travelled to the hospital to question the victim.
The victim admitted to the officers that he was trying to sell an "8th" of marijuana for $20.00 at the time of the incident to a 15-year-old male. During the sale, the teen reportedly stalled providing any kind of payment, then struck the victim in the head, the stomach, the back, then ran away.
The victim tried to get home but then realized he had been stabbed and was bleeding heavily.
Medical information provided to police reported that the victim suffered a head laceration, an abdominal laceration resulting in a laceration of his diaphragm and liver, and a laceration in his back that resulted in the puncturing of his lung. The victim had to undergo surgery to repair the internal injuries.
As a result of the incident, the 15-year-old from Mahanoy City, was charged by Mahanoy City Police Ptlm. Rachael Lenar with attempted murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, simple assault, and robbery.
The teen was arraigned by a Court of Common Pleas Judge and locked up on $500,000 straight cash bail.