A 21-year-old man allegedly attacked his grandmother in Port Hadlock Jan. 13 and was arrested for attempted murder.

Bond was set at $150,000 for Atticus Colter Burrows, who made his initial appearance in Jefferson County District Court on Jan. 14. He was charged with assault in the first degree causing great bodily harm.

THE ATTACK

An affidavit filed with the court alleged Burrows visited his grandmother at Garden Apartments, where they ate breakfast. Afterward, Burrows’ grandmother went to her room to lie down when she heard Burrows enter.

The victim asked what Burrows was doing in the room just before he allegedly began to assault her, calling her names and saying, “you aren’t my grandmother.”

Officials stated in the document the victim was Burrows’ maternal grandmother.

“A large amount” of blood was found on the bed and pillow, leading investigators to believe that is where the crime occurred. The victim made her way through the apartment to a neighbor’s apartment for help.

The attack was reported at 10:22 a.m., and first responders arrived at 10:36 a.m. However, the attacker had already fled.

The victim was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with an “obvious open-skull wound and had what appeared to be brain matter on the exterior of her head.”

The affidavit later confirmed it was brain matter, and the victim was “alert and conscious” at the time of the report.

The victim reportedly gave information to a responding emergency medical technician that indicated Burrows may have used a rock during the attack.

There were fresh blood droplets on the threshold of the entry door “and blood throughout the residence,” including the living room, bathroom and bedroom, according to the affidavit.

Law enforcement located a tent about 800 feet away from the apartment building where they heard someone moving around. When officers asked who was in the tent, Burrows replied, “Just a little boy.” Officials asked him to open the tent, and they saw Burrows with what appeared to be blood on his clothing.

A K-9 unit was brought in to help track the route Burrows allegedly took from the apartment to the tent in which Burrows resided to find any evidence he might have hid along the path.

Burrows will appear in District Court again at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 18.

INITIALLY ATTEMPTED MURDER

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Burrows initially was arrested for attempted murder before the charges were changed.

“(The charges) are very, very similar,” Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy said, speaking in general regarding the charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder.

He pointed to the definition of assault, which states, “a person is guilty of assault in the first degree if he or she, with intent to inflict great bodily harm, assaults another person … by any force or means likely to produce great bodily harm or death.”

“There is a lot of overlap there,” Kennedy said of the two types of crimes.

Kennedy said it comes down to what can be proved in court.

“It is easier to prove something that actually happened (versus) something the person wanted to happen,” Kennedy said.

THIRD RECENT INCIDENT

The Jan. 13 arrest in Port Hadlock was the third attempted-murder incident to occur in Jefferson County in the past six months.

Matthew Malone, 22, a transient from the Port Angeles area, was arrested for attempted murder July 1 after reportedly stabbing another homeless man multiple times near Memorial Field.

The victim, a 57-year-old transient male from Port Townsend, was stabbed in the back and head, according to documents.

Port Townsend Police Department Public Information Officer Keppie Keplinger said Malone is still in the Jefferson County jail as of Jan. 14.

On Sept. 5, a 28-year-old Port Townsend man was stabbed at Adams and Washington streets in Port Townsend.

At the time, a suspect was being sought on attempted-murder charges and police were looking for a male about 6 feet tall with medium-length, wavy hair.

Although arrests are public record, Keplinger said she could not comment on that particular case Jan. 14 and that it was still under investigation.