Father charged in stabbing of son at Utah apartments

Charges filed against a father for allegedly stabbing and trying to kill his son at University of Utah apartments reveal new details about the attack.

The 61-year-old man was charged in 3rd District Court on Wednesday with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and second-degree felony aggravated assault.

On Sunday, University of Utah police responded to a report of a stabbing and found the man's 28-year-old son at the married student housing complex (1945 E. 800 South) with stab wounds and a punctured liver, according to the charges. They also found a four-inch kitchen knife nearby.

He was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery.

The son told police that his father, who only speaks Farsi, had come to his apartment and asked for help translating a government document. While he was reading the document, the father walked behind him and started stabbing him until the son broke free and got away, according to the charges.

Police found the father hiding behind a trash bin in the apartment complex. When they confronted him, police say the man began hitting his head against a concrete wall. He too was taken to the hospital, where he told a nurse through a translator that he was trying to kill his son and then wanted to kill himself, according to the charges.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda