Woman hospitalized after Key West stabbing. Teen to be charged as adult, police say
A 19-year-old woman was flown to a Miami-Dade hospital Thursday evening after being stabbed repeatedly during a fight in Key West, according to police.
The 17-year-old girl who police say stabbed her has been arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of cocaine. Assistant Monroe County State Attorney Joseph Mansfield told the Miami Herald she will be charged in adult court because of the seriousness of the incident.
Police have not released her name, and information about her legal representation was not immediately available.
The 19-year-old, who the Miami Herald is not naming, was flown to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami-Dade County. She had stab wounds to her torso and shoulder area, said Key West Police Department spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
The stabbing, which happened in the yard of the Robert Gabriel Apartments along Thomas Street near the Southernmost Beach, was the result of a fight between the woman and the teen, according to Mansfield.
A video obtained by the Miami Herald/FLKeysnews shows the disturbing scene.
In it, the girl who has been detained and the victim are seen arguing. The juvenile taunts the 19-year-old to come over and fight. All the while, her sweatshirt sleeve is covering her right hand.
The two begin to physically fight, and it becomes clear the juvenile has a small knife in the concealed hand, repeatedly stabbing the victim in the side of her torso as the two are on the ground.
The 19-year-old then realizes she’s been stabbed and cries out.
Police were called to the apartments around 4:20 p.m., Crean said. They initially stopped two teenage girls running away from the area. On one, they found a bloody 3-inch fixed-blade knife. Police say they also found her carrying in her clothes a small plastic bag that later tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, Crean said.
After watching the video, police identified “the 17-year-old as the aggressor” in the fight, Crean said. The other girl with her was released to her legal guardian, according to police.
This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 6:22 PM.
