Deputies arrested a man after responding to a 911 hang-up call that led to a stabbing at a home in Sterling late Saturday night.
Russell C. Patchen, 61, was taken into custody around 12:19 a.m. Sunday and charged with two felony offenses: second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The incident started just before 10:40 p.m. on December 6, when Cayuga County deputies were dispatched to a home in Sterling. When they arrived, they found Patchen outside with a head injury and another man inside the home with stab wounds.
Investigators say Patchen got into a physical fight with a woman inside the house. A second man tried to intervene, and that’s when Patchen allegedly stabbed him with a letter opener. Deputies say Patchen then got on top of the man and tried to stab him again, but the victim managed to hit Patchen in the head with a glass ashtray and escape.
Medical personnel treated the man at the scene. He refused to be taken to the hospital.
Patchen was arrested and taken to Auburn Community Hospital for treatment before being processed at the Cayuga County Public Safety Building. He was held for arraignment and initially assigned bail of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond. He posted bail the next day and is expected to appear in Sterling Town Court at a later date.
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 315-253-1222 or leave an anonymous tip at cayugacounty.us.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].