Daytona Beach, FL – A pair of Atlantic High School students are now in custody for stabbing a 17-year-old in the face and stomach during a fight that police think could be gang-related.
16-year-old Gharyhis Major and 15-year-old Deondra M. Wheeler each face felony aggravated battery charges following that fight in a small field on the 1000 block of Sheridan Street Monday afternoon.
The Daytona Beach Police Department says the victim – Kemari Dallas – was stabbed around 5:30 PM and was sent to Halifax Health Medical Center for surgery. Officers say Dallas is in stable condition and that his injuries don’t appear to be life-threatening.
According to the arrest reports, at least 6 other people were at the scene when Wheeler and an unidentified teenager got into a fight. Those witnesses claim Major stabbed Dallas with a knife when Dallas tried to stop him from joining the fight.
The report also noted that Wheeler told investigators that he stabbed Dallas – whom he referred to as “the leader” – in an argument over gang turf, but DBPD didn’t believe him because he didn’t say he had stabbed Dallas in the face.
When questioned by DBPD, Major admitted that he saw Wheeler stab Dallas but also admitted that Wheeler would “take the charge” for him since he had been previously booked at the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Wheeler and Major were placed into DJJ custody after DBPD caught each of them around an hour later on the 1500 block of Dunn Avenue.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.