4 homeless SLT men involved in stabbing
An argument over cigarettes led to four people being transported to Barton Memorial Hospital with stab wounds.
The names of the South Lake Tahoe men have not been released by police. Nor is it known how they might know each other.
It started as a verbal argument on March 24 just before 5pm near the transit center at the Y. Officers said all four were hanging out for a couple hours before the nearby warm room opened.
A 45-year-old allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed a 48-year-old in the chest. A 26-year-old man and a fourth male, age 46, jumped into the fight to try and disarm the suspect, according to officers.
The youngest person sustained cuts to his hands while getting the knife away from the suspect. The 46-year-old sustained a blunt force injury to his chest.
The initial stabbing victim was transported to Barton Memorial Hospital with life threatening injuries. He is out of surgery and was expected to survive, according to officers. The 45-year-old was in stable condition. The condition of the 26-year-old was unknown after being treated in the emergency room. The 46-year-old was treated and released.
This was the eighth call this month to the South Y Transit Center involving homeless people. The calls have been for fighting, public intoxication and disturbing the peace.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call 530.542.6100.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Today was the last. Day to comment on the TRPA/REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT PLAN (Draft). If these areas are not safe – no one will use public transportation. Need to have cameras monitoring centers, and no loitering, no smoking, etc. I am not totally sold on how the homeless warming shelter works. I don’t want folks in the cold, but I think it encourages homeless to come to SLT because they get shelter & benefits. I subscribe to the idea that they should do some work for their shelter – do some. Street cleaning, etc to earn their bed – and then maybe they won’t have the money to buy expensive cigarettes and can pay for food & shelter instead. Something just does not fit here…..