Vancouver teen accused of assaulting brother appears in court

A 16-year-old boy made a first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court for allegedly attempting to slit his brother’s throat.

Cristian A. Chavez of Vancouver was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of first-degree assault-domestic violence, stemming from the alleged incident.

The teen’s brother, David Chavez, called 911 on Saturday to report an assault with a knife. When police arrived, they spoke with David Chavez who said his brother, Cristian, tried to slit his throat. He said he was walking upstairs in their residence when his brother came up behind him and put a knife to the front, left side of his throat, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.

David Chavez told police that his brother then tried to cut his throat. He said he was able to push his brother away and run upstairs to call for help, court records said.

Police said they observed a 6-inch cut on David Chavez’s neck, consistent with a knife blade. The injury was not life-threatening, the affidavit says.

Because of the nature of the crime, the teen was automatically remanded to adult court.

During his hearing, Judge David Gregerson set Cristian Chavez’s bail at $75,000 and ordered that he not have contact with the alleged victim.

He is scheduled to be arraigned July 31.