1 jailed, 1 hospitalized from knife wounds on New Year’s Eve

Editor's Note: This story has been updated throughout with additional details from court/police records.

MATTAWA — On Thursday night, two subjects had a disagreement resulting in both parties injuring one another with knives. Mario Cortez Perez, 34, was arrested and booked into Grant County Jail while his roommate was transported to the hospital.  

Grant County Sheriff’s Office will be forwarding their report to the Grant County Prosecutor for potential charges to the roommate for first-degree assault – domestic violence. The roommate was not named because he has not been charged or booked into jail.

According to GCSO’s statement, witnesses called 911 around midnight on New Year’s Eve to the 15000 block of Road T.5-SW in unincorporated Mattawa.

After deputies arrived, they learned that Cortez Perez and his adult roommate had a disagreement which resulted in knife injuries to both parties.

According to witnesses in the GCSO probable cause statement, Cortez Perez got upset after a verbal disagreement, resulting in him throwing a bottle at his roommate. The bottle did not hit the subject, according to the witness. According to the report, the roommate subsequently got a knife out and swung it, cutting Cortez Perez’s nostril.

Witnesses then separated the two men with Cortez Perez stepping outside. The witness said she went back inside and heard screaming and went into the room and saw the roommate had been cut on his arm and was bleeding. Soon after, law enforcement arrived.

While taking statements from witnesses, Cortez Perez came out of a nearby orchard on the south side of the residence. He was detained without issue and placed in the rear of a police vehicle. Cortez Perez was read his Miranda Rights by deputies and asked what happened. He claims the roommate had grabbed the knife and tried to stab him in the neck. Cortez Perez claims he moved and instead got cut in the nose.  He then claimed he defended himself from the roommate by stabbing him in the arm, so he “would stop,” according to the GCSO probable cause statement.

Deputies then entered the residence to confirm no additional victims were injured inside the house. The deputies discovered the altercation happened in the northwest part of the house, with two pools of blood found.

Cortez Perez used a knife to cause a serious wound to the roommate’s arm and lesser knife injuries to the roommates' hand and chest, according to a GCSO statement.

The deputy decided, based on the facts he had found, probable cause to arrest both the roommate and Cortez Perez. The roommate was not placed under arrest due to the nature of his injuries, according to the probable cause statement. Instead, the roommate was life flighted to the a hospital, where it was confirmed he has no broken bones, a bloody nose and superficial laceration to his stomach area. The nature of the roommates’ injuries has not been released as of Friday.

It is unclear whether the roommate was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland or Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee for treatment, as the incident report and GCSO social media state different facilities.

According to the Grant County Jail Roster, Cortez Perez was booked for felony harassment – previous conviction or threats to kill and first-degree assault. As of Friday morning, Cortez Perez does not have a bail set.