Update, Jan. 13, 2015: Berkeleyside followed this case through to Lamb’s sentencing. Our update on the details of this court case, including witness testimony about the double stabbing and the arson that killed a Chihuahua puppy named Midnight, can be found here.
Update, Jan. 30, 2013, 2:45 p.m.: The suspect in the stabbing case is 50-year-old Victor Lamb. Lamb, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest unrelated to this event, was arrested at the scene and is being charged with two counts of attempted murder, domestic violence, violation of a court order and resisting a police officer, according to the Berkeley Police Department. He is also being charged with animal cruelty as he left a dog in the house at 1409 Harmon St. after setting it on fire, and the dog died.
Update, Jan. 30, 2013, 12:35 p.m.: The victims of the Jan. 29 stabbings were a 70-year-old female and a 20-year-old male, according to BPD. They were both treated at local hospitals and the male victim has been released. However the female victim is still currently being treated for her injuries. The crime is currently under investigation.
Original story: Berkeley police responded Tuesday to a report at 4:02 p.m. of a stabbing in the 1400 block of Harmon Street, between Sacramento Street and San Pablo Avenue, in south Berkeley.
According to Sgt. Joe Okies of the Berkeley Police Department, two stabbing victims were taken to the hospital. Their condition is currently unknown.
The suspect in the stabbings barricaded himself into the house where the incident took place, according to Okies. Berkeley police negotiators were called to the scene. In the negotiations, the suspect threatened to burn the house down. Flames were seen coming from the house.
Police then saw the suspect attempting to flee the house from the back, but he was apprehended without incident at 4:44 p.m. The Berkeley Fire Department responded to the fire, which was quickly controlled. During the incident, the street was closed down and the area was contained. A neighbor reported seeing police “standing with guns drawn all around the outside the house.”
Sgt. Okies said a significant number of resources were at the scene of the crime.
According to Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong, the fire was confined to the front of the house. He estimated it caused $50,000 worth of damage to the house.
Neither the suspect nor the stabbing victims were identified by the police at time of publication.
Related:
Man sentenced to 15 years in Berkeley double stabbing, arson that killed puppy (01.13.15)
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