A 24-year-old woman in Arizona has been arrested after she stabbed her mother nearly 20 times in a brutal attack. After she was caught, the woman told police that her mother had stabbed herself.
The victim, whose name and age have not been publicly shared, survived the alleged attack that took place in a home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday, February 2, according to a probable cause statement reviewed by Us Weekly.
Ashland Trinity Crank was taken into custody and has been charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and disorderly conduct with a weapon. She is being held on a $300,000 cash bond.
It is not currently clear if Crank has entered a plea or retained legal representation.
The victim claimed to authorities that the incident began when she told Crank to “get dressed.”
“When the [mother] went downstairs, she observed [Crank] seated on a couch, completely naked and wrapped in a blanket,” the statement said, per the affidavit. “The victim then went outside to the backyard/back patio area to clean up dog feces. While the victim was in the backyard, the offender approached her from behind and began stabbing her in the back.”
Police said that the victim suffered 18 stab wounds and lacerations during the attack, which included injuries to the back of her head, neck, back and chest.
As the attack took place, neighbors heard the victim yelling for “help” and called police. Authorities said that one resident added that they saw Crank “attempt to drag [her mom]” into their garage after she exited the front of the home.
“[Crank] attempted to close the garage door; however, the garage door did not close due to the victim’s body obstructing the safety sensor,” the probable cause statement said. “The witness provided police [with] an eight second video of the offender attempting to pull the victim back inside the garage.”
While covered in blood, the victim eventually managed to escape the home and collapsed on the sidewalk. A neighbor then told authorities that Crank attempted to perform lifesaving measures on her mother as several neighbors gathered outside to watch the incident go down.
When authorities reported to the scene, police did a sweep of the home and found blood throughout the residence, as well as “multiple knives in plain view” and a broken flowerpot.
“At least one of the knives was snapped near the blade/handle,” the affidavit stated. “The blade had hair and blood on it.”
The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment, where she claimed that Crank had stabbed her several times. She also said that she overheard her daughter telling their neighbors that she had stabbed herself, which she insisted was not true.
“Several of the injuries the victim sustained appear to be in locations that would be nearly impossible for her to inflict on herself,” the probable cause statement said.
Police also spoke to Crank, who reiterated her claim that her mother stabbed herself. Crank shared inconsistent claims about the events, initially saying that she was showering on the third floor when she heard her mother screaming. However, she “later changed her account” and said she was done showering when she heard her mom downstairs “muttering,” according to the affidavit.
“She claimed a struggle ensued while attempting to take the knife away [from her mom],” the statement read. “During the protective sweep, officers also observed a small amount of standing water within the shower door track on the third floor. Officers noted the amount of water present was not consistent with the shower having been recently used, as described by [Crank].”
Crank’s mother told investigators that her daughter suffers from “mental health issues and alcoholism,” adding that she was planning to take her to a mental health facility around the time of the attack.
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