Merritt woman recovering in hospital after being stabbed in a downtown alley on Memorial Day – Kamloops News

Photo: KTW file

kamloops provincial court

Serious charges have been filed over a knife that narrowly missed the heart of a woman who was stabbed in an alley in Merritt earlier this month.

During a bail hearing in Kamloops provincial court on Wednesday, the judge was told emergency crews were called to a convenience store in the 2000 block of Nicola Avenue just before 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 11 for a report of a stabbing.

Crown prosecutor Kelly Melnyk said a witness in the area told police he watched the incident happen. He said that he was with a woman in the alley behind the store, another woman approached them, the woman took the knife lying on the ground and stabbed her friend.

The man said the attacker was upset because he thought the man and woman were laughing at him.

“(The victim) had been stabbed quite close to his heart and I think the injury was quite serious and his condition was very critical for a period of time,” Melnyk told the court. he said.

“So the situation was very serious; I believe his condition at the moment is critical but stable.”

Tatiana Vannessa Ruiz, 33, faces charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and burglary. He was released on bail on Wednesday.

Ruiz is facing unrelated charges in connection with an incident in January in which he allegedly kicked two Merritt Riders while being arrested for refusing to leave an acquaintance’s home.

He is also awaiting sentencing on charges stemming from an incident at a Merritt store last year in which he punched two employees and stole glasses from one of them.

Ruiz will appear in court again on December 17 regarding the charges.