Man charged with murder attempt after stabbing

A Vancouver man faces a first-degree attempted murder charge in connection with a Monday stabbing.

Pascual Valenzuela, 36, will be arraigned Aug. 20.

He is being held in the Clark County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.

According to documents filed with the court, Valenzuela was upset at the 23-year-old victim, Bradley Bingham, over a dispute involving Valenzuela’s female cousin. Valenzuela allegedly threatened to kill Bingham the day before the stabbing, the victim’s father told investigators.

At 4:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said Valenzuela confronted Bingham while he was working on his truck outside his home, near the East 30th Street and St. Johns Boulevard intersection. Valenzuela allegedly stabbed him three times in the arm and chest. Bingham was transported to a local hospital for what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Bingham described the attack weapon as a steak knife with a blade between 6 and 8 inches long, according to court documents.

Valenzuela was initially arrested that night on suspicion of first-degree assault, but prosecutors filed the attempted murder charge this week after they said they found evidence showing his intent, said Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Fairgrieve.

The suspect was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for a drug charge. He’s unemployed, according to court documents. At his first court appearance Tuesday, Clark County Superior Court Judge John Nichols appointed attorney Matthew Hoff to represent him.