Inset: Ashland Crank (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office). Background: Police at the Arizona condo where Ashland Crank allegedly stabbed her mom 18 times (KSAZ).
An Arizona woman unleashed a brutal knife attack on her mother, stabbing and cutting her nearly 20 times all over her body — including her head — after being told she was going to an alcohol and mental health treatment facility, cops say.
"Get dressed," the mother recounted telling her daughter Ashland Crank, 24, before she flew into a rage and began stabbing her on Monday at the mom's condo in Scottsdale, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Law&Crime.
"When the [mother] went downstairs, she observed [Crank] seated on a couch, completely naked and wrapped in a blanket," the statement says. "The victim then went outside to the backyard/back patio area to clean up dog feces. While the victim was in the backyard, the offender approached her from behind and began stabbing her in the back."
Crank's mother suffered 18 stab wounds and lacerations during the knife onslaught, including injuries to the back of her head and neck, as well as her back and chest, according to police. "My daughter stabbed me," the mom allegedly said while being treated for her injuries.
Neighbors heard Crank's mother yelling "help" and "help me" during the attack and called police, including one resident who saw Crank "attempt to drag [her mom]" into their garage after she managed to make it to the front of the residence, cops say.
"[Crank] attempted to close the garage door; however, the garage door did not close due to the victim's body obstructing the safety sensor," the probable cause statement alleges. "The witness provided police an eight second video of the offender attempting to pull the victim back inside the garage."
Crank's mother was covered in blood while stumbling around and trying to get away from her, according to the neighbor. She was seen walking out onto the sidewalk before eventually collapsing.
"After the victim collapsed, the witness observed the offender begin attempting what appeared to be lifesaving measures," the probable cause statement says. "The witness stated she believed this behavior occurred only after several neighbors began gathering outside and the offender appeared concerned about how she would be perceived."
Authorities arrived on scene and found Crank with her mother, prompting them to question her about what happened. A sweep of the three-story residence where the attack unfolded was conducted and officers found blood on the staircase between the first and second floors, blood on the first-floor patio and inside the patio doorway, "multiple knives in plain view," and a broken flower pot, according to the probable cause statement.
"At least one of the knives was snapped near the blade/handle," the statement says. "The blade had hair and blood on it."
After being rushed to the hospital and treated for life-threatening injuries, Crank's mother told investigators that Crank was stabbing her so hard that the knife she was using "broke," according to police. This prompted her to go "back inside the residence to retrieve additional knives," the probable cause statement says.
"[Crank] reentered the backyard and attempted to force and lead [her mom] back inside the residence and up the stairs to the second level," the statement alleges. "The [mom] stated she believed that if she went upstairs she would die, and instead attempted to move toward the door leading to the garage."
Crank's mother told police that while she was lying on the ground, she could hear Crank telling neighbors and people at the scene that she had stabbed herself, which the mom stated was not true, per cops. "Several of the injuries the victim sustained appear to be in locations that would be nearly impossible for her to inflict on herself," the probable cause statement notes.
Police spoke to Crank at the scene and got her alleged side of the story, which included the claim that she "witnessed her mother stabbing herself," according to the probable cause statement. Crank initially stated she had been showering on the third floor when she heard her mother screaming. But she "later changed her account" and claimed she had actually just finished showering when she heard her mom downstairs "muttering," the statement says.
"She claimed a struggle ensued while attempting to take the knife away [from her mom]," the statement recounts. "During the protective sweep, officers also observed a small amount of standing water within the shower door track on the third floor. Officers noted the amount of water present was not consistent with the shower having been recently used, as described by [Crank]."
While recovering at the hospital, Crank's mom told investigators that her daughter suffers from "mental health issues and alcoholism," according to the probable cause statement. She stated that they were planning to go to "CBI," which is a mental health facility, to complete paperwork for the mother's other daughter, who had been taken there the previous day. The mother said she also intended to check Crank into CBI for alcohol and mental health treatment, per the statement.
After hearing Crank's "inconsistent statements" and speaking with her mother, authorities arrested the young woman and charged her with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and disorderly conduct with a weapon.
She was being held this week on a $300,000 cash bond.
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