Suspect arrested after person stabbed and police car window smashed in South Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Sun, 03/21/2021 - 2:49pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A 24-year-old man from South Lake Tahoe is under arrest after a stabbing on Sunday.
At about 10:20 a.m. March 21, 2021, South Lake Tahoe Police dispatch received a 911 call about a stabbing in front of the 7-11 located at 3923 Pioneer Trail. The stabbing victim said they were standing at the Red Box DVD rental machine in front of the store when an unidentified male jumped on his back and stabbed him with a metal dry-wall saw.
The victim was able to get the suspect off his back, at which time the suspect fled the scene on foot.
An officer who was in the area quickly located the suspect, who was later identified as Steven Messina, walking on the 1000 block of Moss Road. Before the officer could exit his patrol car, Messina smashed the passenger side window of the patrol car with a large construction hammer. The officer quickly exited his patrol car and confronted Messina. The suspect failed to comply with the officer’s verbal commands and advanced towards the officer.
The officer used his Taser device to gain control of the situation and safely got Messina into custody.
The stabbing victim received a non-life threatening injury to his back that did not require medical treatment at the time.
Messina was arrested for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Felony Threats to an Officer, Resisting Arrest, Vandalism, and Battery on a Police Officer.
Messina was transported to Barton Hospital for minor injuries from the Taser device. As of 2:45 p.m. the suspect was still at the hospital.
The photo of the suspect attached to this story is a booking photo from a prior arrest in South Lake Tahoe for resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer according to South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Shannon Laney.