TACOMA, Wash. — A 16-year-old teen was arrested in connection to a deadly stabbing after deputies received reports of a domestic dispute between his mother and her boyfriend.
Pierce County deputies said the incident happened inside an apartment complex located on 76th Street Court E in Tacoma on Wednesday around 1:45 a.m.
Once they arrived at the scene, deputies said a 23-year-old man, the mother’s boyfriend, was found with multiple stab wounds.
The mother and two children were also inside the home at the time.
The 23-year-old man was rushed to a hospital, where he later died.
A mother, whose child lives near the family, said the couple is often heard arguing.
“They’ve been hearing them screaming, fighting, door slamming, like, since he (the 23-year-old man) moved in six months ago, so this wasn’t just today,” said Tara.
The 16-year-old was arrested for second-degree murder and is currently being held at Remann Hall.
Investigators say they are gathering evidence to understand if self-defense was a possible factor.
“With the laws that are in put in place, when we take a juvenile into custody as a suspect, we cannot interview them. We can’t ask them questions or talk to them about the crime, which eliminates a huge piece of our investigation and we can only go off of what we find in that home or through our investigation,” said Carly Cappetto, public information officer for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
The death marks the 12th homicide in Pierce County for 2025.
Investigators said there were four homicides last year for the same time period.
The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office told KIRO 7 that it will look into the case to determine possible charges.
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