Family Fight Critically Wounds Man

A Spokane man was stabbed six times outside a Newport, Wash., pizza parlor Monday during an argument with a relative, authorities said.

Gary N. Craig, 41, was in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center late Tuesday, a hospital official said.

Craig was flown to Sacred Heart after he had been stabbed in the parking lot of Big Wheel Pizza Parlor about 9 p.m.

The suspect, Cecil Statton, is a cousin of Craig’s wife and likely will be charged with first-degree assault, said Newport Police Chief Gary Markwardt.

Statton, 35, who lives near Oldtown, Idaho, just across the state line from Newport, told police he had stabbed Craig, Markwardt said.

“It wasn’t uncommon for them to have physical confrontations,” Markwardt said. “Apparently, this one went one step beyond.”

Craig was stabbed in the torso and may have suffered a punctured lung, the police chief said.

Police won’t take Statton into custody because he said he has AIDS. They also believe he will respond if summoned to appear in court, Markwardt said.