Parolee arrested after stabbing woman along Sacramento River Trail

REDDING — A Redding parolee was arrested after stabbing another woman early this morning, Thursday, July 11. The “unprovoked attack” happened where the victim had been camping, near the Turtle Bay East Open Space, along the Sacramento River Trail, at the dead-end of Bechelli Ln.

According to authorities, the alleged suspect and victim are both transients who knew each other prior to the bloody attack, which they say left the victim with injuries described as “severe but not life-threatening.”

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Redding police officers were first alerted to this morning’s violent attack shortly after 3 a.m., when the victim, later identified as 41-year-old, Melody Gardiner walked into Shasta Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room with severe injuries, Redding Police Corporal W. Williams later reported.

“Gardiner had been stabbed and was bleeding significantly,” the Cpl explained.

Margaret Brice was arrested after authorities say she violently attacked another woman along the Sacramento River Trail, leaving her with severe, but non-life-threatening” injuries. Redding PD photo

The victim was able to provide an initial statement and told investigating officers she had been stabbed by a person she knew, later identified as 26-year-old, Margaret Brice. Gardiner also told officers she had seen Brice the day before “but there hadn’t been any problems.”

According to Gardiner, during this morning’s attack Brice “was yelling her own name as she was stabbing the victim,” explained Williams.

After the brutal attack, Gardiner managed to walk nearly a mile and a half to the hospital where she immediately underwent emergency medical treatment for her “severe” injuries.

Based on the information provided by the victim, officers began backtracking from the scene of the crime and eventually located Brice on Churn Creek Rd. near Mistletoe Ln.

“Brice had blood on her clothing consistent with having been involved in an altercation … and refused to speak with officers,” said Williams. When officers located her, she no longer had possession of any knives or box cutters.

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Based on their investigation, Brice was arrested and booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and violation of parole.

Anyone with further information about this investigation or who witnessed the attack and has not yet provided a statement to authorities is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 19R044060 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.