A 17-year-old was apprehended in Mattoon over the weekend, accused of stabbing his mother’s boyfriend during an altercation that escalated.
The incident took place on Sunday morning at a residence near Marion Avenue and 5th Place. According to Sam Gaines, the Police Chief of Mattoon, the teenager had recently relocated to Mattoon from Texas, where he lived with his aunt, to live with his mother and her boyfriend.
Around 9 a.m. on Sunday, the teen became involved in what Gaines termed a “typical domestic dispute” with his mother. The situation quickly became physical, with the teen allegedly striking his mother. The boyfriend intervened, attempting to restrain the teen.
At this moment, the teenager reportedly picked up a knife and stabbed the boyfriend six times—five in the arm and once in the abdomen. Gaines mentioned that one of the injuries was quite severe, severing the brachial artery, necessitating surgical intervention.
The mother also received a chin laceration, which Gaines attributed to an accident. She later reported no recollection of being hurt or struck by her son before the stabbing incident.
Charged with aggravated domestic battery, the teen was taken into custody and placed in the Vermilion County Juvenile Detention Center. He remains detained as he awaits his court date set for Friday.
