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ST. GEORGE — A woman who police say tried to kill her 8-year-old son by stabbing him in the neck with a pair of scissors at a southern Utah motel has been arrested.
Megan Michelle Stewart, 28, of St. George, was arrested Thursday for investigation of attempted murder, child abuse and violation of a protective order. Police originally reported the boy was 10, but later updated his age to 8.
St. George police were called to Motel 6, 205 N. 1000 East, at about 11 a.m., according to a prepared statement from the department. Officers arrived to find a boy "who had sustained potentially life-threatening injuries from an assault," police said.
The boy, who suffered "multiple neck lacerations," was taken to a local hospital. Police said Thursday afternoon that the boy was expected to survive.
Detectives learned the tragic string of events began about 9 a.m. when a motel employee saw the young boy running through an alley nearby screaming for "Help" and claiming that his mother was trying to "suffocate" him, according to a police booking affidavit. Stewart was right behind the boy and told the employee, "Don't worry, he just got his butt whooped," the affidavit states. The two then went back to their room.
About two hours later, a housekeeper at the motel also saw the boy standing outside his room, and the boy claimed his mother wanted to "kill" him, according to the affidavit. The housekeeper told the boy to go back into the room and he would call police, according to the affidavit. The housekeeper told an employee at the front desk what the boy had said and the employee noticed the room's door and windows were closed. The employee called 911 and then walked back to the room where the door was now open.
The employee saw the boy laying on the bed and "blood all over the room" and thought the boy was dead, noting that his face was purple, according to the affidavit.
The motel manager saw Stewart walk away and directed police to where he last saw her. Officers were able to locate Stewart and took her to the police department for questioning.
"During the interview with Megan, she admitted that she was at the Motel 6 with (the boy and) that she attempted to suffocate him with a pillow, and that she stabbed (him) in the throat with scissors," the affidavit states. "Megan also admitted that she was 'high.'"
When asked why she allegedly stabbed the boy, Stewart replied, "I had to," and then "stated at different times that it was for 'Satan' or 'Mother Mary,'" according to the affidavit.
A protective order was filed in Greeley, Colorado, against Stewart barring her from having contact with her son, the affidavit state. She was also charged on Monday in Washington County Justice Court with assault for a domestic violence-related incident.
In that case, Stewart allegedly attacked her brother, according to a police booking affidavit. The brother told police that Stewart "suffers from mental illness and had a diminished mental capacity," the affidavit states. But even so, her behavior on that day was "not normal," the brother told police, according to the affidavit. Other family members also noted that Stewart "was not acting normal and was doing strange things around their home," the affidavit states.
Police have requested that Stewart be held on no bail.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
