Woman charged in Thursday stabbing

Police: Mother attacked by daughter in restaurant office

MOUNT UNION -- The woman accused of stabbing her mother in the chest and neck and striking a second victim with a vehicle at the Dairy Queen restaurant near Mount Union on Thursday has been identified by police.

Katelyn Marie Stutzman, 18, of McVeytown, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jack E. Miller on one count of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of reckless endangerment on Thursday.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Pennsylvania State Police were contacted at about noon Thursday when there had been a stabbing at the Wayne Township restaurant and that the accused had fled the scene in her black Jeep Liberty and struck a second victim with her vehicle.

According to the affidavit, Stutzman got into an argument with her mother, Carol Stutzman, in her office area at Dairy Queen just after noon Thursday. Police said Katelyn Stutzman grabbed a knife and stabbed her mother in the chest.

At that time, Carol Stutzman reportedly started to scream and attempted to shut the office door on her. The affidavit states they ended up in the kitchen and Carol Stutzman was able to get the knife away from her daughter. Police said Katelyn Stutzman then grabbed a second knife and proceeded to stab her mother again in the kitchen.

When interviewed, Katelyn Stutzman told police she stopped because she heard people trying to get in the building then fled out the back door to her vehicle. The affidavit states she then struck a pedestrian, 32-year-old Kaine Thomas Swope, of Mount Union, with her vehicle as she was attempting to leave the scene.

Swope told police he had tried to get out of the way of the Jeep as it was leaving the parking lot when he was struck. Swope sustained severe head and leg injuries from being struck by the vehicle, according to police. Police said Swope was flown to UPMC Altoona for treatment of his injuries.

The accused told police multiple people tried to stop her by putting their hands up and motioning to stop, but that she "stepped on the gas and struck someone."

Carol Stutzman suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck area. She was transported to Penn Highlands Hospital in Huntingdon and was later flown to UPMC Altoona for treatment of her injuries, which police termed "life-threatening."

A witness said he was at the OIP restaurant adjacent to the Dairy Queen and saw Katelyn Stutzman stab Carol Stutzman. He said he and others who were at the OIP were able to break the glass and enter the Dairy Queen.

Katelyn Stutzman told police she drove straight home after the incident, where she was later taken into custody.

Stutzman is being held at Mifflin County Correctional Facility, having been denied bail by Miller. A preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. March 16 before Miller.