An East Chicago man told police a man he’d been drinking with stabbed him repeatedly and threatened to kill him earlier this month, according to court documents.
The victim said he’d been at a bar in East Chicago when Ariel Lopez walked in and sat down with him on Sept. 24, court documents said.
Lopez, 20, of East Chicago, was charged in Lake Superior Court with attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two additional battery counts. The attempted murder charge is punishable by 10 to 30 years.
They played a game of pool, and the victim told Lopez he was going to go home. On the way to the victim’s home, they stopped at a liquor store, bought beer and walked to the victim’s home, where they drank outside in the back of the house, the probable cause affidavit states. The victim said he told Lopez he was going to bed and went inside. A few minutes later, Lopez called and asked him to walk with him to the liquor store. As the men were walking down the alley, the man told police he felt something. When he turned around, the man told investigators Lopez began stabbing him in his neck, the affidavit said.
The man was taken to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, where he was treated for multiple stab wounds, then transported to an Illinois medical center for further treatment. He received 26 stitches for wounds to the front and back areas of his neck and his torso, court documents said.
The man identified a photo of Lopez as the assailant, according to court records.
Lopez was released from the Lake County Jail on $8,000 cash bond.
Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
