Charges filed in ‘particularly disturbing’ stabbing of Independence woman in the face
A 42-year-old man has been charged with domestic violence in what police said was a “particularly disturbing” stabbing of an Independence woman found at a Belton convenience store, a police spokeswoman said.
Cass County prosecutors have charged James W. Cook with one count each of first-degree domestic violence with serious injury and armed criminal action, said Sgt. Mary Bruegge, a spokeswoman for the Belton Police Department.
The victim, a 46-year-old woman who was stabbed multiple times in the face, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Officers responded to the stabbing about 8 a.m. Monday to a convenience store near 163rd Street and Cornerstone Drive. Arriving emergency personnel found the victim inside a vehicle.
Belton police identified Cook as a person of interest and asked for the public’s help in finding him, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous. Hours later, police found Cook and arrested him.
Cook was being held in Cass County jail without a bond, according to jail records.
