‘I Took the Knife Out Myself,’ Stabbing Victim Tells Jury 

By Yessica Osorio - September 23, 2024
Daily Stories | stabbing | Suspects |

A victim recalled his shock following a stabbing and told the jury he “took the knife out” himself, before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Sept. 19. 

Amadelia Hernandez, 35, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing incident that occurred on March 29 on the 400 block of Emerson Street, NW. One individual sustained injuries from this incident.

In their opening statement, the prosecution said that on the night of the incident, the victim sustained a cut from a chef’s knife when Hernandez allegedly stabbed him. 

According to the prosecution, some of the blood in the apartment where the incident occurred had been cleaned up before officers and medical services arrived. 

Hernandez’s attorney, Damon Catacalos, argued that she acted in self-defense. 

According to Catacalos, the victim is an alcoholic who acts aggressively when under the influence. He argued that is what happened on the night of the incident, as medical documents showed he had been under the influence at the time.

When the prosecution called the victim to testify, he recalled watching TikTok videos with his landlord on his cellular device and laughing at them. The victim said he was making a smoothie when he began to feel “heat” on his lower back. 

The victim told the jury he realized he was stabbed when he pulled out the knife and threw it in the kitchen sink. He told the landlord to call 911, and the landlord identified the defendant as the one who allegedly stabbed the victim.

The victim testified while waiting for officers to arrive he watched the defendant and another tenant in the household clean up evidence.

During cross-examination, the defense asked the victim about his drinking problem. The victim said he spent approximately two weeks in rehab and hadn’t had anything to drink at the time of the incident.

The responding officer, in her testimony, described the victim’s demeanor as calm but shocked when he first talked to police and displayed his injury.

The defense asked about the night prior to the stabbing, when the victim allegedly waved a knife at the defendant’s belly and laughed. Although police were called, no arrests were made. 

The victim denied the allegations.

Trial will resume on Sept. 23.