A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the neck and shoulder Tuesday morning during what police first were told was a burglary at his Draper home, but turned out to be an episode of domestic violence involving his stepfather, police say.
Officers were dispatched to the house, near 1700 East and Pioneer Road (12340 South), about 5:30 a.m. on a report of a burglary in progress, Sgt. Chad Carpenter said in a news conference broadcast on Facebook Live by KUTV. While police were on their way to the home, the situation was updated to a stabbing.
When officers arrived, they were told by someone at the scene, initially reported as the teen’s father, that someone had broken into the house and gotten into an altercation with him and his son, at which point the boy was stabbed inside the home.
The teen was taken to the hospital, where officers interviewed him, Carpenter said, and they learned there had been no burglary.
The teen, instead, said he had fought with his stepfather, who allegedly stabbed him, police said. The teen was released from the hospital later Tuesday.
The 38-year-old stepfather also was treated for injuries at a hospital. He was released into the custody of police, who booked him into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of second-degree felony child abuse, as well as domestic violence and domestic violence in teh presence of a child.
The teen told police he had heard his stepfather and mother arguing and went to intervene, according to Carpenter. The teen and stepfather got into an altercation, which stopped when the teen said he went to console his mother.
After consoling her, the teen said he and his stepfather re-engaged in a second altercation, where the stepfather allegedly stabbed the teen.
“The initial information was not accurate,” Carpenter said. “The information they told us was false, essentially.”
Because of the false report, police had initially set up containment in the area but later stopped searching for any kind of suspect.
Police said upon learning the new information, there was “certainty no outstanding suspect” and no other people were involved.
Police are continuing their investigation, Carpenter said, and at its conclusion, they will hand over their findings to the district attorney to take “appropriate” action.