Massachusetts

Man slashed parents, then fled Reading home, officials say

Christian Alexander's mother said her son has substance abuse and mental health issues, which he allegedly alluded to when officers found him, prosecutors said

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A man was arrested on suspicion of cutting his mother and father with a razor blade in Reading, Massachusetts, authorities said.

Christian Alexander asked officers who tracked him down, after he fled his family's residence on Bond Street, "Is everyone at the house okay?" prosecutors said as the man appeared in court Tuesday to face assault and battery charges. Later, Alexander allegedly told an officer, "I just tried to kill my [expletive] parents."

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Alexander's father was found at the home bleeding profusely from the neck, while his mother was slashed across the chest, prosecutors said. The man was in surgery Tuesday morning, while the woman told officers she was grateful to be alive.

She also said her son has substance abuse and mental health issues, which Alexander allegedly alluded to when officers found him.

"I just had a psycho attack, I didn't mean it," Alexander told the arresting officer, according to the assistant district attorney who brought the case.

The officer allegedly found a box cutter with a razor blade inside, and noted that Alexander indicated it was the knife used in the attack, which police have said that both victims were expected to survive.

Alexander was handcuffed and dressed in a coverall suit during the hearing. He mostly stared at the ground ahead of him, occasionally nodding slightly.

His lawyer in court asked that he be seen at the infirmary, and the judge granted a three-day continuance of Tuesday's hearing to allow investigators to collect evidence and speak to the father. The judge ordered that Alexander be detained, he's due back in court Friday.

No family members were in court and his attorney declined to speak to reporters.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested for a double stabbing in Reading, Massachusetts, overnight. Follow NBC10 Boston: https://instagram.com/nbc10boston https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston

Alexander was caught by police around 3 a.m. after fleeing from a residence on Bond Street following the incident, reported just after midnight, police have said.

"A heavy active duty search going on -- K9s, state police, local towns and a drone unit," Reading Police Chief David Clark said. "An officer who was searching the area located him... recognized him from his description and took him into custody."

They said the man was armed with a razor blade and/or a box cutter.

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