By WECT Staff | January 7, 2021 at 10:08 AM EST – Updated January 8 at 7:23 AM
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – A Wilmington man is facing attempted murder charges after he allegedly broke into his estranged wife’s second-floor apartment, stabbed her multiple times, and threw her from the balcony, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
A news release states that Matthew Stallings, 29, forcefully entered the apartment, located on Coddington Loop, around 8 p.m. Wednesday, and stabbed the victim approximately 15 times with a pocketknife before throwing her off the balcony.
She was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition as of Thursday morning, sheriff’s officials say.
Stallings was arrested in Duplin County and brought back to New Hanover County on charges attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a female, communicating threats, and first-degree burglary.
In court Thursday afternoon, prosecutors said the victim and Stallings have a 3-year-old son together and she was staying with a friend at the time of the vicious attack. She was denied a temporary restraining order against Stallings on Dec. 30 and was scheduled to meet with her attorney, Blake Spale, on Thursday to file another request.
“This man is a menace, and this is one of the worst…I’ve been doing this 40 years…domestic violence cases I’ve seen, ever,” Attorney Jim Lea, who also represents the victim, stated in court.
Stallings’ bond was set at $5 million following this afternoon’s hearing.
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