Connell man charged with attempted murder for niece's stabbing

A Connell man was charged Friday with allegedly stabbing his 5-year-old niece on Valentine’s Day.

Oscar Garcia Romero, 32, is scheduled to enter a plea Tuesday in Franklin County Superior Court to one count of attempted first-degree murder.

He is in jail on $500,000 bail, along with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

Garcia Romero acted with premeditated intent when he stabbed and slashed the victim in the abdomen with a butcher knife, Deputy Prosecutor Dave Corkrum wrote in court documents.

The victim, Alexia Romero Magana, was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital on Tuesday. An update on her condition was not available Friday from the Kennewick hospital.

The girl reportedly awoke from a nap on the couch in a South Third Avenue home and saw her uncle open the door to his bedroom. She ran to hug him, then followed him into the room, where he closed the door, court documents said.

Moments later, Teresa Romero found her son, Garcia Romero, standing over his niece holding the knife in his hand, documents said. Alexia was on the bed with her hand over her stomach.

Garcia Romero took off, but called police about an hour later from a Pasco convenience store to turn himself in.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Connell man charged with attempted murder for niece's stabbing."