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Santa Barbara police arrested a 20-year-old Santa Barbara man over the weekend on suspicion of attempted murder and making terrorist threats after he allegedly attacked a fellow dinner guest.
Sam Wellington Maphis V was arrested in connection with an incident that began about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when officers responded to report of an assault with a deadly weapon at a residence on the 1200 block of Crestline Drive, said Sgt. Riley Harwood.
Upon arrival, a 60-year-old woman was found suffering from an approximately 12-centimeter long incision to her neck, Harwood said.
The victim, whose name was not released, was transported by paramedics to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The victim, a resident of unincorporated Santa Barbara, is expected to recover from her injury, Harwood said.
An investigation revealed that the victim accompanied another person who had been invited to a dinner Saturday at the Crestline Drive residence where Maphis lives, Harwood said.
Maphis reportedly approached the victim from behind as she sat at the dinner table and, without provacation, cut her throat with a knife, Harwood said.
When his uncle confronted Maphis, he “pointed the knife at his uncle and uttered a threat to him” before fleeing the scene on foot, he said.
Maphis was contacted by cell phone and found inside Elings Park, where a perimeter was established by police and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office personnel, Harwood said. Maphis surrendered without incident at 10:15 p.m. to officers at the Las Positas entrance to the park.
Maphis was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of attempted murder and terrorist threats, with bail set at $2.5 million.
“Investigation indicates that mental illness may be a factor in this case,” Harwood said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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