Girl, 16, is stabbed during random downtown attack

San Jose woman, 39, jailed; victim is in stable condition

PALO ALTO >> A San Jose woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after she randomly stabbed a 16-year-old girl Aug. 18 in a crosswalk, police said.

The girl was taken to a hospital, where she was in stable condition, authorities said. No one else was injured.

The attack happened shortly before 10 a.m. at University Avenue and Emerson Street, police said. The girl was walking westbound on the side of University Avenue when a 39-year-old San Jose woman walked up behind her, attacked her with a small knife, then pulled her down in the crosswalk.

The woman then got on top of the girl and continued attacking her, authorities said.

Two men saw the attack and intervened, with one tackling the woman and pulling her off the girl. The bystanders disarmed the woman and held her down until police arrived, and others tended to the girl until paramedics reached the scene.

Authorities said the suspect and the victim did not know each other, and there had been no contact between them before the attack. The woman was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and false imprisonment, which police said was because she had held the victim down to prevent her from escaping the attack.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-3838984.