Alleged burglar stabbed by Redding homeowner, investigation continuing

April 16, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif. — Few details have been released and officials are continuing to investigate after a Redding homeowner reportedly stabbed a burglar during a violent encounter at a private residence in the 2200 block of Venus Way, northwest of Galaxy Way and Alta Mesa Drive, Thursday evening, April 15.

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City of Redding police officers were dispatched to the residential neighborhood around 6 p.m. after receiving reports of an unknown subject forcing his way into a residence, Redding Police Corporal Wes Townsley has since said of the incident and ongoing investigation.

“The reporting party Christian Phelps, 19 years of Redding, said he stabbed the unknown intruder, later identified as Charles Benson Jr., 27 years of Redding,” reported Townsley.

Stabbed and bleeding from a knife wound to the chest, Benson – who radio traffic at the time indicated was possibly developmentally delayed – fled from the residence in a vehicle that was soon located several blocks away by a CHP officer who was in the area to investigate reports of a stolen vehicle reportedly involving Benson.

Benson was transported as a trauma alert to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries, but he was not arrested while officers continue their investigation into the circumstances that led to the stabbing.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R024639 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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 30 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 18 grandchildren.