Salinas police won’t charge teen in stabbing near El Sausal Middle School

Updated 5/7/14: Salinas police say they won’t file charges against a 13-year-old boy accused of stabbing a fellow student Tuesday afternoon because they believe it was self-defense.

Officers took the teen to the police department and questioned him, but later released him to his parents.

At this point, no charges will be filed, but that could change if new information comes to light.

The 14-year-old who was stabbed is in stable condition.

Previously:

A teen boy was bullied so badly he was forced to take a knife to school for his own protection. That’s the defense from the boy’s mother claiming her son was arrested for his involvement in an after school stabbing near El Sausal Middle School in Salinas. Salinas police said the victim, a 14-year-old middle school student was taken to a Bay Area trauma center.

Later on Tuesday, we learned that the suspect’s mother claimed the middle school knew her son was being bullied and did nothing to stop the problem. We have a call into the Salinas Police Department to find out what they know about those claims.

“My son have been bullied and the school hasn’t done anything about it. That’s why I would always come when I hear about these incidents. So it wouldn’t escalate,” said mom Maria Coit.

Coit said her 13-year-old son was arrested, accused of stabbing another 14-year-old student. She said for two years her son has been bullied by the same group of kids.

“There have been several days that a group of kids have been following and waiting for him,” Coit said.

Coit said she’s gone to the school each time he was bullied to report the information. The district said it can’t comment on this case or student records. The school said because it happened a few steps off campus, the district takes a back seat to the police department’s investigation.

Coit said investigators found her son with a weapon.

“So he had to defend himself and it got to this point where officials say he was carrying a knife,” Coit said.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said students who are bullied are more likely to bring a weapon to school, estimating 250,000 U.S. high school students carry guns, knives or clubs.

“I think children are afraid and if the family ties are not there and if they don’t have someone that they can talk to about these worries they do feel like they have to protect themselves,” said social worker Staela Keegan.

But Coit said she and her son have a good relationship and he isn’t in a gang.

“He’s very calm. That’s why all of these incidents have occurred because he tells us what happens to him,” Coit said.

The school district said it will have counselors on hand on Wednesday for any students who may have witnessed the stabbing.