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Attempted Murder Charge In Berkeley Homeless Camp Attack

BERKELEY (CBS SF) – A four-time felon has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a woman at a homeless camp in Berkeley earlier this month and leaving her paralyzed and in critical condition, Alameda County prosecutors said.

Christopher Crosby, 29, was arraigned last Thursday for the Feb.  15 attack and is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on March 6 to enter a plea.

The attempted murder charge against him contains a special allegation that he inflicted great injury on the woman that left her paralyzed and he also is charged with assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.

The 38-year-old woman was found by police at a homeless encampment at South Aquatic Park in Berkeley at about 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, Sgt.  Jennifer Wilson wrote in a probable cause statement.

The woman had a wound to her neck and was transported to a hospital, where a knife blade was removed from her neck during surgery. The woman also suffered a spinal cord injury and is in critical condition, according to Wilson.

Crosby was identified as the person who committed the stabbing, Wilson wrote, although she didn't disclose further details in her statement.

At the time of his arrest, Crosby was on probation for a felony robbery conviction in Alameda County on Nov. 13, 2013, Wilson wrote.

Prosecutors say Crosby was convicted of felony receiving stolen property only a month after that, on Dec. 16, 2013, also in Alameda County.

They also said he was convicted of felony second-degree burglary in Alameda County on Nov. 5, 2010, and of another count of felony second-degree burglary in San Mateo County six weeks earlier, on Sept. 22, 2010.

Crosby is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail.

© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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