By Joe Johnson
A Clarke County grand jury has charged an Athens boy with attempted murder in connection with a knife attack on his hosts during a sleepover earlier this year.
Nehemiah Wright is alleged to have attacked members of the Cates family in their home on Lea Court, when his sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl was interrupted by her mother.
Abigail and Jessica Cates suffered severe injuries to the head, face and body, and the father, Justin Cates, and 12-year-old Tyler Cates were cut while subduing their knife-wielding houseguest.
Wright was arrested the day of the incident and has since been housed at a state Regional Youth Detention Center.
He is 15 years old and at the time of the incident resided at Pinewood Apartments on Bailey Street.
According to the indictment his full name is Nehemiah Jarvis Jimmie Wright.
The boy’s case was transferred from Juvenile Court to Superior Court on August 12, and last Friday the grand jury indicted him as an adult.
The indictment charges Wright with two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts each of aggravated battery and false imprisonment, and single counts of child molestation, sexual battery of a child, and battery.
One of the assault charges was for stabbing 14-year-old Abigail Cates while attempting to rape her, according to the indictment, and the aggravated battery charge was for disfiguring Jessica Cates with stab wounds that will cause scarring.
Authorities have withheld reports concerning the incident because juveniles were among the victims.
However, Cates family members provided details of the attack during an interview with an Atlanta television station:
Jessica Cates told 11Alive that upon being startled awake the morning of Jan. 27 she found Wright attacking Abigail with a knife.
"I heard screaming. It's like 7:30-ish in the morning," she said. "And I went upstairs. He was naked and on top of her."
"When I turned the lights on in there, I saw blood on the wall," Jessica said.
Twelve-year-old Tyler Cates said he rushed to his sister’s defense.
Jessica, who is a nurse, said she brought her daughter to the bathroom to assess Abigail’s wounds, and moments later Wright attacked them both once more -- stabbing her in the head, neck, and back and Abigail in the head and chest.
Family members said that Wright had previously spent the night at their house, and Tyler said that the other boy had been his best friend.
What a nightmare for this poor family.
This incident reinforces my decision to not let my kids do sleepovers. Too many bad things can happen to kids during sleepovers.
The race of the 15 yr old doesn’t matter. The fact that he committed these crimes does. He should stay imprisoned for a long time, if not forever. Chances are he will offend again it given the opportunity.
Leftists' hearts are breaking for that poor black boy.