Carson man critical after stabbing

A 30-year-old transient was arrested by South Lake Tahoe police early Friday morning on suspicion of attempted murder after a 44-year-old Carson City homeless man was stabbed Thursday at the the Upper Truckee Marsh area.

Michael James Schultz was arrested without incident in a tent camp near the scene of the stabbing at 1:04 a.m., said South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Marty Hale.

The 44-year-old transient was stabbed with a knife then walked into Meek's where he passed out in front of employees.

Witnesses told police the attacker and the victim had known each other for about a week and had been fighting over how they should spend their money, Hale said.

"It turned into a fight where a suspect drew a knife, and backed the victim into the woods," Hale said. "The victim came out of the woods and said he'd been stabbed."

The victim underwent surgery at Renown Medical Center after being airlifted from South Lake Tahoe.

The victim remained in critical condition Friday.

The stabbing happened at around 4:15 p.m. Thursday. The victim is a homeless man from Carson City who has lived in the meadow next to Meek's since August, Hale said.

The victim was stabbed in the neck and twice in the abdomen, witnesses said. Police would not confirm how many times the victim was stabbed.

There was blood along the nature trail in the meadow and in front of the business.

Witness Mike Breshears, a store employee, said he was working downstairs, walked upstairs and saw a man lying on the ground bleeding. The man said that he had been stabbed in the neck with a 10-inch knife, Breshears said.

"Then he went into shock and blood really went everywhere," Breshears said. It looked like the man had been stabbed, at least twice in the abdomen, he added.

Meek's let its employees out of work early.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Detective Norrgard or Detective Herring at 530-542-6100.