Man accused of stabbing his girlfriend, harming himself in Deer Valley apartment

Man accused of stabbing his girlfriend at Phoenix apartment

Authorities say two people, both in their 30s, were stabbed near Rose Garden Lane and 23rd Avenue in Phoenix, and the man is accused of stabbing the woman before hurting himself. FOX 10's Justin Lum reports.

PHOENIX - Authorities in Phoenix say a man and a woman were taken to the hospital after being found with stab wounds, with the man being suspected of assaulting his girlfriend before harming himself.

According to fire officials, the two people were found at an apartment complex near Rose Garden Lane and 23rd Avenue at around 10 a.m. on Oct. 15. The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the man was hospitalized in stable condition.

One neighbor heard yelling and screaming before police arrived.

"My neighbor came out and he told me," said the neighbor. "He was like, man, dude cut his girlfriend's throat while she was sleep."

The victim is expected to survive, and the man, identified as 43-year-old Shawn Menoche, has been released from the hospital and booked into Maricopa County Jail.

Man arrested after reportedly stabbing woman, barricading himself on Oct. 15

"She’s outside screaming for her life, like, can somebody help? Just screaming. Desperate," said a person who lives in the area.

Inside the apartment, police dealt with the suspect the victim is believed to be in a relationship with, and a brief barricade situation ended without lethal use of force.

"In this case, the taser was used as a less-lethal option," said Sgt. Vincent Cole with Phoenix Police. "The male is going to, upon his release, be booked for one count of aggravated assault."

Domestic violence on the rise across the U.S.

The incident came as domestic violence is on the rise. Kim Hubbard, who manages two domestic violence shelters for a group called A New Leaf in Apache Junction and Mesas, said their hotline is getting a spike in calls for help, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought obstacles along with staffing shortage, decreased bed capacity, and issues stemming from social distancing guidance.

Hubbard wishes more could be done, as experts believe one in four women experience domestic violence.

"There's more that can be offered. We don’t have enough housing resources. We don’t have enough counseling resources. We don’t have enough staff. We don’t have enough volunteers. These are things that are needed," said Hubbard.