LEWISTON, ID – A 27-year-old Lewiston man was arrested last night after he allegedly stabbed a family member with a steak knife while under the influence of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials responded to the 1100 block of Harvest Road in North Lewiston at 8:24 p.m. for a report of a 911 trace from a recent hang-up.
When Lewiston Police Department officers arrived, they allegedly heard arguing coming from the home and Austin Fugate reportedly exited the house with a knife in his right hand, according to a Probable Cause Affidavit.
“Austin turned to his left made eye contact with me and immediately dropped the knife on a chair to his left,” an officer says in the document. “The knife appeared to be a generic steak knife with a black handle and silver in color blade.”
The officers asked Fugate what was going on and he reportedly said, “Uh I just stabbed her,” the affidavit says. Fugate was instructed to sit in a chair and at that time an older male came out and stated Fugate “had stabbed his daughter.”
As the female began walking toward the officer he reportedly observed that she was holding the clavicle area on the left side of her body with her right hand.
“I observed a substantial amount of blood that was soaked into the front of her T-shirt and down her left arm. I instructed [the male] to grab me a towel so that I could apply pressure to [her] wound,” the document states.
The 28-year-old woman was transported to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The affidavit says the man told officers they had just finished dinner when a “glossy-eyed” Fugate walked from the kitchen to the living room, went around a coffee table, and allegedly stabbed the woman as she sat on a couch, the affidavit says.
“[He] stated after Austin stabbed [the woman] he began walking towards him. [He] stated this is when he got up out of his chair and said don’t you even think about it,” according to the affidavit.
After being read his Miranda Warning, Fugate reportedly told an officer that he stabbed the woman “while under the influence of methamphetamine,” the court document says. “The [officer] asked Austin why he only stabbed [her] once, Austin replied with once he saw her face it shocked him.”
Law enforcement officers had previously responded to the home on Friday, the affidavit says. During that contact with Fugate, he reportedly believed his family was being held against their will in the basement.
“It was determined that Austin was having hallucinations due to recent methamphetamine use,” the affidavit states.
Fugate has been charged with two felonies – Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon or Instrument. He is being held in the Nez Perce County Adult Detention Center.
