Knife narrowly missed heart

Serious charges have been laid after a knife narrowly missed a woman's heart when she was stabbed in a Merritt alleyway earlier this month.

Emergency crews were called to a convenience store in the 2000-block of Nicola Avenue just before 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 11 for a report of a stabbing, a judge was told Wednesday during a bail hearing in Kamloops provincial court.

Crown prosecutor Kelly Melnyk said a witness in the area told police he watched the incident unfold. He said he was with a woman in an alley behind the store when they were approached by another woman, who picked up a knife that was laying on the ground and stabbed his friend.

The man said the attacker was upset because she thought the man and woman were laughing at her.

“[The victim] had been stabbed rather close to her heart, and I believe that the injury was fairly serious and she was listed in very critical condition for a bit,” Melnyk said in court.

“So it was very serious — I believe she is in critical but stable condition now.”

Tatiana Vannessa Ruiz, 33, is facing charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and theft. She was granted bail on Wednesday.

Ruiz is facing unrelated charges in connection with an incident in January in which she is alleged to have kicked two Merritt Mounties while being arrested for refusing to leave an acquaintance’s home.

She is also awaiting sentencing stemming from charges laid after an incident last year in which she punched two employees at a Merritt store and stole a pair of glasses from one of them.

Ruiz is due back in court on the her charges on Dec. 17.