Boy won’t be arrested after fatally stabbing stepdad to protect mother, police say

A Northern California boy likely won’t face charges for stabbing his stepfather to death while protecting his mother during an attack, police said.

Fearing for his mother’s safety, the boy retrieved a knife from the kitchen as his stepfather attacked his mother, according to the Fairfield Police Department. The adults had argued earlier and it escalated, becoming physical.

When police arrived at the family’s home in the 700 block of Overture Lane in Fairfield, they found the 45-year-old stepfather dead from a stab wound.

The boy was described as 10 to 12 years old, said Officer Cleo Mayoral. The boy, he said, will not be arrested.

Police called the stabbing death tragic.

“A wife lost her husband, a family lost a loved one, and a child will forever have to live with the knowledge that someone died as the result of his actions,” the Police Department said.

In Fairfield, about 20% of all domestic violence cases have children under the age of 12 living at home, police said.

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