Texas Mom, 44, 'Started Stabbing' 14-Year-Old Son as Witness Heard Teen Scream 'She's Trying to Kill Me'

A Texas mother has been charged after prosecutors alleged she entered her 14-year-old son's bedroom in West El Paso carrying a baseball bat and a knife, then stabbed him while he was playing video games. Janie King, 44, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the 2 September incident, in which the boy was taken to hospital and survived.

For context, the El Paso Police Department responded at about 5:47 p.m. to a report of a stabbing at a home in the 400 block of Nordstrom Avenue. The incident later led to a SWAT standoff lasting about four hours and 33 minutes, ending when King was taken into custody at about 10.20pm.

Court documents state that the teenager told police he was sitting in a gaming chair when King allegedly entered his room carrying a baseball bat in one hand and a small knife in the other. He allegedly told her to put the weapons down.

According to the documents, King allegedly dropped the bat and began stabbing him. The allegation has not been tested in court.

Texas Mother Accused in Alleged Bedroom Attack

Assistant District Attorney Holly Rodriguez told the court there had been no apparent confrontation immediately before the alleged attack. Prosecutors said King entered the bedroom with the bat and knife before allegedly using the knife against the teenager.

The boy allegedly tried to take the knife from King before getting out of his bedroom. Court records state that he suffered two stab wounds to the neck, two injuries to his right arm and another wound near his left armpit. He also suffered a cut to his right hand.

A brother who was in the house told police he heard slamming, running and screams from upstairs. He said he heard the teenager shout, 'She's trying to kill me, she's trying to kill me.'

The brother then found the teenager bleeding, according to the arrest affidavit. He told investigators that King was allegedly following the boy down the stairs while holding a knife.

The teenager picked up a kitchen stool as he tried to protect himself, court documents state. His brother then brought him into a bedroom, locked the door, called 911 and used towels in an effort to stop the bleeding.

Police said King remained in the garage after officers arrived. SWAT officers later used a drill to gain access to the garage door and physically removed King from the property, according to reporting on the arrest affidavit.

Three other juveniles were inside the house when officers responded, police said. None was reported injured.

Texas Mother's Bond Conditions Follow Hearing

King was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on 9 September, one week after the alleged stabbing. Her initial bond was set at $100,000 (£74,690).

At a bond hearing on Tuesday, 15 September, Rodriguez asked the court to ensure King could not return to the family home or be near the children while the criminal case continues.

'I would ask that whatever bond you give, that we make sure she's not in the home and not near the children,' Rodriguez told the judge.

It was reported on 16 September that the judge reduced King's bond to $60,000 (£44,814). The court imposed intensive supervision conditions should she be released, including reporting to a supervision officer as directed, avoiding illegal drugs and alcohol, not possessing firearms or other weapons, and not committing new criminal offences.

King is also prohibited from contacting her teenage son.

Rodriguez told the court that King was the primary caregiver for the 14-year-old and another child, aged 12. She said King homeschooled both children because they had special needs, while their father worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was away from the household for much of the working week.

King's attorney told the judge that she wanted to be admitted to University Medical Center's Psychiatric Center if released, according to KTSM.

That request does not establish any diagnosis. The judge also indicated that King would undergo a psychiatric evaluation and noted she had no prior criminal history.

King remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case remains under investigation.