A 59-year-old woman was in critical condition after being stabbed in Houston on Saturday — and the suspects are only 12 and 7 years old.
According to KRIV-TV in Houston, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said an aggravated assault charge was filed against the 12-year-old boy, who was not identified due to his age.
The 7-year-old was not culpable by law, the station reported.
KTRK TV reported that the woman, who has not been identified, has a “complicated” relationship with her neighbors, who described her as having a “fragile” fragile mental state.
The complex dynamics reached a boiling point on Saturday.
The KTRK report is below:
According to KHOU-TV in Houston, surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home showed the woman in her driveway in a confrontation with the boys, who were on bikes.
Captured in the footage was the boys departing when a neighbor ordered them away, according to KTRK.
They returned about 10 minutes later wearing blue and black gloves.
Both left their bikes at the foot of the driveway and walked toward the garage. The older boy then took something from his trousers and charged into the garage. Seconds later both boys ran back to their bicycles and fled.
However, they were found shortly after the incident.
The children, ages 7 and 12, have been located. The female has been taken by Lifeflight to another hospital. https://t.co/jznFbiEYhL
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) March 23, 2024
According to KTRK, Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigator Sergio Torres said the woman was found by her brother.
“Her brother came and checked up on her. He checks on her daily. At that point, he just came at the right time. He opened the door and saw that she was stabbed,” Torres said, according to KTRK.
She was taken to a hospital via Life Flight, where she underwent surgery. A nephew said she was in critical condition as of Sunday morning, KTRK reported.
The parents of the boys have not been charged, according to KTRK, though Texas’ Child Protective Services have been notified.
The station reported that, under Texas law, the minimum age for legal culpability for a crime is 10 years old.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.