A female patient at Torrance state hospital now faces charges of attempted homicide along with simple and aggravated assault after she allegedly stabbed another patient.
State police say that 19-year-old Shayla Maye Mitchell is accused of attacking an un-named 59-year-old patient at the hospital on Tuesday. Staffers told troopers that they heard the patient scream and saw she had about 12 stab wounds on her arms. The victim told police she woke up when a shirt was pressed against her face, and she saw Mitchell sitting on top of her. Police said that after the victim got free of the shirt, Mitchell started to stab her numerous times with a pen, which hit the victim’s arms as she tried to protect her face.
An affidavit of probable cause said Mitchell admitted to police that she was trying to kill the victim because the victim kept staring at her. A preliminary hearing is set for November 7th. In the meantime, Mitchell is in Westmoreland County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
