An 18-year Riverton woman who admitted to stabbing a man at a local motel could face significant prison time if convicted.
Tiera C’Bearing will have a preliminary hearing in Fremont County Circuit Court next week after she was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
She’s accused of stabbing a man twice with what the Riverton Police Department describes as a “gray folding knife” — once in the chest and once in his abdomen.
C’Bearing at first denied stabbing the man, who is about 10 years older than she is, instead saying she was the one assaulted.
“She said he began hitting her and initially denied stabbing him,” according to the RPD. “But later when confronted with inconsistencies in her story, she admitted to it.”
The man was life-flighted to a nearby hospital and his condition as of Thursday wasn’t known, the agency reports.
‘A Significant Amount Of Blood’
The incident began at about 10 a.m. Sunday when RPD officers were dispatched to “a location in Riverton for a report of a male who had been stabbed,” the department said in its initial report.
An affidavit of probable cause filed in C’Bearing’s case shows that location to be 611 W. Main St., which is the Riverton Inn and Suites motel.
“Upon arrival, officers located a male with several stab wounds to the torso,” the initial report stated. “Officers provided aid to the male until emergency medical services arrived on scene.”
In a follow-up report Thursday, the RPD said that others at the motel also tried to administer first aid to the victim, who had “a significant amount of blood on the front of his shirt,” and that alcohol is suspected to have been involved.
Stabbed
While details of what led up to the stabbing are murky, the altercation between the man and C’Bearing appears to have begun in room 114 of the motel.
By the time officers arrived, the man was outside the room, but C’Bearing had retreated into the room and locked the door, RPD reports. When someone with the motel let them into the room, they found C’Bearing inside.
The knife was found hidden under a mattress on the bed, and there was blood spatter on a window. There also was blood on the knife’s blade and handle.
Witnesses at the scene told police C’Bearing “was responsible for the stabbing,” according to the affidavit.
If convicted of the felony charge, she could face up to 10 years in prison, but if aggravating factors are involved, that can be escalated to as much as 25 years.
She had her first appearance in Fremont County Circuit Court this week, and is scheduled for a Feb. 19 preliminary hearing to determine if there’s enough evidence to proceed with the felony prosecution.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
