Stabbing leads to teen arrest

A 15-year-old teenager was booked into juvenile detention late Monday on suspicion of stabbing his group home supervisor.

The incident happened at a house near 8000 South and 3700 West, which is used as a group home for the handicapped. The 15-year-old, who police estimate has the mental capacity of an 8-year-old, and a 13-year-old live at the home, which is run by Front Line Services, a private company that contracts with the state, West Jordan Police Lt. Bob Shober said. It has been doing business since 2001.

The 15-year-old, who is mildly retarded and suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, was putting up a struggle Sunday about 10 p.m. with two employees when he refused to take his medication, he said.

The boy ended up calling a group home supervisor at his house and he agreed to drive over to try to "reason with him," Shober said.

The supervisor talked to the boy, gave him a timeline of when he needed to take his medication and began to walk away, Shober said.

"The kid then comes at him with a knife," he said.

The teen chased the supervisor through the house with a kitchen knife and caught up with him in the living room where he stabbed him once in the back, Shober said

Initially the supervisor was listed in critical condition. It turned out, however, the wound was superficial and only required three stitches, he said. The man was kept in the hospital for several hours for observation.

When police arrived at the group home, the teen was still there and calm by that point. He was booked into juvenile detention for investigation of aggravated assault. It will be up to the Salt Lake District Attorney to decide what charges should be filed.

"I don't know what they'll do with him," Shober said.

Police say they do not have any history of problems with the boy.

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