A 24-year-old Arizona woman has been charged with multiple counts related to the stabbing of her mother on Monday.
The mother sustained nearly 20 stab wounds, which Ashland Crank told police she inflicted on herself, according to a probable cause statement.
Scottdale Police said they were called to the scene Monday morning by a third party who said that a daughter had stabbed her mother and that the mother may have also stabbed the daughter, the statement says.
Upon arrival, officers found the mother and daughter in the driveway of the home, with the mother lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds to the body and neck. Officers temporarily placed Crank in handcuffs while rendering aid to the mother until medics arrived on scene and took her to a hospital for further treatment.
Before questioning Crank, the did “a protective sweep” of the property and found blood in several locations inside the house as well as “multiple knives in plain view.” One knife blade was snapped off near the handle and “had hair and blood on it.”
When they questioned Crank, she told two different stories that matched only in her insistence that her mother had stabbed herself. She said she had received a minor cut while trying to wrestle the knife away from her mother.
Ashland Crank by kc wildmoon
Because of her inconsistent statements, officer put Crank back into handcuffs and detained her.
The witness who called 911 told officers that she had heard cries for help, including the victim saying that her daughter was “trying to kill me” as she ran to the scene. Additionally, she reported hearing Crank say that her mother “was having a mental breakdown and ask the victim how she could have stabbed herself in the back.”
Another witness told police she was inside her apartment across from the victim’s unit and heard the cries for help. She said she looked out the window, saw the neighboring garage open, and the victim come out, followed by the woman identified as Crank, who was completely nude. That witness said she saw Crank grab the victim by the arm and shirt, knocking her down. She reportedly tried to drag her mother back into the garage as well. The witness gave police an 8-second video showing Crank trying to drag her mother into the garage.
The second witness also described seeing blood on the victim’s face and body. After she collapsed, the witness said, Crank appeared to begin life-saving measures.
“The witness stated she believed this behavior occured only after several neighbors began gathering outside and the offender appeared concerned about how she would be perceived,” the probable cause statement says.
Officers spoke with the victim at the hospital, and she told them that she had told Crank she was taking her to a mental health facility for treatment of alcoholism and mental health issues just before she was attacked. She told her daughter to get dressed then went outside to clean up dog feces. While she was outside, Crank attacked her from behind.
At one point, the knife broke, she said, and Crank went back inside to retrieve more knives.
The victim suffered 18 cuts to the mid back, back of the shoulder, right cheset, left cheek, lower neck, fingers, and hands, back of the head, and the thigh. She required an air tube while at the hospital.
“Several of the injuries the victim sustained appear to be in locations that would be nearly impossible for her to inflict on herself,” the document says.
Crank has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and disorderly conduct.
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[Featured image: Ashland Crank/Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office]
