Moses Lake man arrested for stabbing

MOSES LAKE — A man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stabbing a Moses Lake man in the back.

Daniel R. Balderas, 42, Moses Lake, was arrested for assault in the second degree after allegedly stabbing a 45-year-old man with a knife during a fight, Moses Lake Police Chief Dean Mitchell said.

Police describe the two men as acquaintances.

The fight allegedly stemmed from the victim's treatment of mutual friends, according to Mitchell. He declined to reveal additional information.

Police became involved when a driver saw the victim walking on Wheeler Road toward Samaritan Hospital with a wound on his upper back, police Capt. Jim Jenkins noted. He was taken to the hospital and later transported to Deaconess Hospital in Spokane.

Initially the wounds were thought to be serious, Mitchell said. There was a possibility the victim suffered a punctured lung. Medical staff did not find any organs damaged and the victim is expected to make a full recovery.

Investigators found the incident occurred on Seventh Avenue, where the knife and suspect were located, Jenkins noted.