An Oakland man with eight prior felony convictions has been charged with the attempted murder of another man after a nearly deadly attack in South Berkeley in April.
According to court documents, Roy Lee Savage, 42, stabbed another man twice with an 8-inch knife while the victim was sitting in a van in the 1600 block of 63rd Street on April 19.
“Doctors reported that the knife cut through his entire liver and punctured his small intestines,” according to the documents. The injury exposed the victim’s internal organs and resulted in a 3-centimeter-in-diameter wound, which penetrated 15 centimeters. Authorities say Savage also stabbed the victim in the arm, cutting through his entire arm with the 12-centimeter-deep injury, puncturing his armpit near a main artery.
Savage, according to a Berkeley Police report, then demanded the victim’s money and took the man’s keys out of the van’s ignition. He ordered the victim and another person out of the van, saying, “This is my van now!” The victim got out but the other person refused, said police.
The victim was able to start the van with a spare key, and managed to drive himself and a witness to Alta Bates Hospital. He was taken by ambulance to Highland Hospital “due to the serious nature of his injuries,” wrote police.
Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, described the injuries Wednesday as “life threatening.” Coats said a verbal confrontation had precipitated the stabbing.
Savage allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived, but police said two witnesses picked him out of a photo line-up as the person responsible for the stabbing. Police said the victim also identified Savage, using his full name, in a brief statement provided to police prior to emergency surgery.
Coats said, as of last week, the victim had not been released from the hospital.
Berkeley Police arrested Savage on a warrant last Saturday, May 18, at 7 p.m.
The Alameda County district attorney’s office has charged Savage with five felony counts: attempted murder with a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury; attempted robbery; and three counts of carjacking with a deadly weapon.
The district attorney’s office notes eight prior felony convictions for Savage: a 2011 possession of a controlled substance with a firearm offense in Alameda County; a 1999 sales, transportation or offering to sell a controlled substance offense in Alameda County; a 1993 possession for sale of cocaine base offense in Alameda County; a 1990 battery with injury on emergency personnel offense in Sacramento County; a 2006 assault with a firearm offense in San Joaquin County; a 2006 domestic violence offense in San Joaquin County; a 2001 domestic violence offense in Contra Costa County; and a 2007 receiving stolen property (a motor vehicle) offense in San Joaquin County.
In all but two of the felonies, where he was sent to prison, Savage received a sentence of probation, according to court documents.
Savage was scheduled for an attorney and plea hearing Wednesday morning, and set for a probation revocation hearing Friday, May 24. He is being held at Santa Rita Jail without bail.
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