Charges filed against Pico Rivera man accused of stabbing grandmother

WHITTIER – Prosecutors Friday filed three felony charges against a Pico Rivera man accused of trying to kill his 76-year-old grandmother in a knife attack earlier this week.
Joseph Torres, 22, appeared in Whittier Superior Court to face charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse in connection with the stabbing, which left his grandmother clinging to life at an area hospital.
A scheduled arraignment hearing was postponed until Aug. 30, Robison said. Torres did not enter a plea.
Torres got into an argument with his grandmother about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the home where they both live in the 5500 block of Bridgeview Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza said. She had told him to get psychiatric help due to mental problems.
The attack was reported by Torres’ grandfather, who called 9-1-1, “after he walked into a front room of the residence and discovered his wife had been stabbed numerous times by their live-in 22 year-old grandson, Joseph Torres,” Mendoza said in a written statement. “According to the grandfather, his grandson had been standing near his grandmother with a knife in his hand when he walked into the room.”
Two deputies responding to the call saw Torres on the front porch and detained him, officials said. The knife believed to have been used in the stabbing was found in a basket on the porch.
The wounded woman was hospitalized and remained listed in critical condition Friday, Mendoza said.
Officials said her condition appeared to be improving since Wednesday, when her condition was described as “grave.”
Torres was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held in lieu of $1.01 million, according to sheriff’s officials and county booking records.
Torres was on probation for a misdemeanor hit-and-run conviction at the time of the stabbing, according to court records and district attorney’s officials, 
He pleaded “no contest” to hit-and-run in 2009 and was sentenced to 36 months of summary probation, Robison said.
Torres had been due for a probation progress report hearing Aug. 22, however that would likely change due to the new charges against him.
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