An Idaho woman, Marita Gonzales, 32, has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery after allegedly stabbing another woman inside her Pocatello home. According to the Pocatello Police Department, Gonzales is being held in the Bannock County Jail following her arrest.
The incident occurred Sunday night at an apartment on the 700 block of South Arthur Avenue in Pocatello. Court records cited by local media state that the 32-year-old victim had met Gonzales online and invited her to the apartment she shared with her 49-year-old mother. Around 10 p.m., the mother reportedly heard a disturbance coming from her daughter’s bedroom. When she entered the room, she allegedly found Gonzales stabbing her daughter repeatedly. Authorities say the victim was stabbed 18 times.
Injuries and Escape
Police said Gonzales then allegedly cut the mother across the face before fleeing the residence. Officers responding to the scene found the younger victim nude and covered in blood, with stab wounds to her face, head, neck, and hands. She was taken to a local hospital and later airlifted approximately 160 miles south to a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Authorities reported that she was in stable condition following treatment. The mother was treated at a local hospital and later released.
Initially, police issued a description of an unknown male suspect based on early information. However, investigators later reviewed surveillance footage showing the victim and another person entering a store about an hour before the attack. That footage helped authorities identify Gonzales as the suspect.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Gonzales was arrested Tuesday and made her initial court appearance Wednesday. According to reports, a judge ordered her held on a $1 million bond as the case proceeds. Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the attack.
