Numerous Felonies for Berkeley Man Charged in Stabbings, Arson
By Doug Oakley
Staff Writer
Bay Area News Group
doakley@bayareanewsgroup.com
Article first published on Jan. 31, 2013
BERKELEY -- A 50-year-old man who police say stabbed a 71-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man Tuesday before setting a house on fire faces charges of attempted-murder, arson, domestic violence and animal cruelty, police said Wednesday.
Victor Lamb, who has no known address, was arrested after attempting to flee the back of the burning Harmon Street home on Wednesday, police said.
Meanwhile, the 71-year-old stabbing victim remained hospitalized Wednesday with injuries that are not life-threatening. The younger victim was treated and released Tuesday, said Berkeley police spokeswoman Stephanie Polizziani.
She said Lamb faces the animal cruelty charge because he left a Chihuahua in the house that died in the fire.
Polizziani declined to say what relationship Lamb had with the victims or if he lived in the residence. She also did not know what exactly happened at the home.
Police did say they responded to the home about 4 p.m. Tuesday for the stabbing victims. When police tried to talk to Lamb, he went inside the home, locked and barricaded the doors and threatened to burn the house down using a can of lighter fluid he was waving around.
Lamb was arrested and struggled with police. He appeared to be injured after his arrest and was tied to a stretcher as he was loaded into a waiting ambulance.
The owner of the home, Fred Turner, of Oakland, said he does not know the suspect but he has been renting the home to the elderly woman for 30 years.
"Never had a problem in 30 years," Turner said.
Neighbors gathered outside the home Wednesday afternoon said police had been to the home frequently in the past for disturbances, and police had detained Lamb. They did not know if he lived there or what his relationship is to the two victims. Neighbors said the young man is the grandson of the elder victim.
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