IONIA, Mich. (WOOD) — Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old in Ionia as a murder, sources told 24 Hour News 8.
The stabbing happened around 3:45 p.m. Monday in the 900 block of Branch Street, west of N. State Street.
The Ionia Department of Public Safety says the victim was stabbed in the neck during an altercation with the suspect, a 17-year-old. It’s unclear what sparked the fight.
Police say the 17-year-old was treated for minor injuries at the local hospital and then taken into custody.
Jennifer Domine who lives a few houses down from where the stabbing happened, was outside when the teens started fighting.
“He grabbed his neck so I went running over there,” she said. “And I had like a sweater-vest thing on, and I was trying to get it off. And my daughter come running back to me. She took off her hoodie and I used that to apply pressure to his neck.”
“He quit throwing up the blood,” she continued. “I mean, he was trying to move, trying to get up. And I told him, ‘Honey, just lay down. Let me keep the pressure, wait for the ambulance to get here.’”
Domine said she had to change her clothes because of all the blood. Ionia DPS brought in a fire truck to wash away the blood from the street and sidewalk where the stabbing happened.
The names of the victim and suspect were not released Monday night, but police said both are from Ionia.