Stabbing sends one Merced County Jail inmate to the hospital

A 19-year-old inmate at the Merced County Jail was flown to a hospital after another inmate stabbed him multiple times, officials with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The stabbing occurred just before 10 a.m. Tuesday in the recreation yard of the jail on 22nd Street in downtown Merced, Undersheriff Jason Goins said. Officers were present along with other inmates, but no other injuries were reported.

A 37-year-old inmate used a “jail-made stabbing device” and targeted the victim in a one-on-one altercation, stabbing the victim multiple times in the upper body, Goins said.

The sheriff’s office is withholding the names of the inmates pending the investigation, Goins said.

The victim was in critical but stable condition. Officials did not say which hospital he was flown to, citing safety concerns.

The incident remains under investigation, but the suspect could face attempted murder charges, Goins said.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Stabbing sends one Merced County Jail inmate to the hospital."