A Washington woman is facing multiple attempted murder charges after allegedly crashing her car while intoxicated and then attempting to stab her two daughters. The incident concluded when three active-duty soldiers intervened.
Janieka Ellington, 35, was reportedly driving with her daughters, ages 10 and 15, after spending the previous night drinking whiskey. Police state she crashed her SUV near DuPont. Following the crash, she allegedly began attacking her daughters with a knife.
A trio of soldiers witnessed the altercation and intervened, pinning Ellington to the ground as she reportedly chased the older daughter with a knife. Sgt. First Class Jeff Hytower, an Army soldier, recounted that his training kicked in during the encounter. He managed to disarm Ellington, with the assistance of two other soldiers, Sgt. Ricardo Nunez of the Army and Sgt. Alexis McKay of the Washington National Guard, who helped subdue her until law enforcement arrived.
According to a police affidavit, one of Ellington's daughters told detectives that her mother had been drinking the night before. The daughter stated that Ellington woke them, placed them in the car, and drove for approximately three hours before she began to speak erratically about being followed and then drove into a highway barrier.
Ellington faces charges including four counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of vehicular assault while intoxicated, and one count of felony harassment. Both daughters were transported to a local hospital. The younger daughter sustained injuries consistent with stab wounds, while the teenager suffered injuries to her hand, ankle, and head.
