Authorities say two men stabbed inside an Arlington Heights apartment on April 30 spent the hours before the attack eating food and hanging out with the Hoffman Estates man charged with assaulting them.
Damian R. Engelmann, 18, is charged with attempted murder in the early morning attack, which authorities say sent the two men to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights with lacerations to their heads, necks and hands. Engelmann remains at Cook County jail while the case is pending. If convicted, he faces between six and 30 years in prison.
He next appears in court on May 29.
According to prosecutors, one of the injured men was staying at the home of the other man who shared the apartment with his mother. Prosecutors say Engelmann also occasionally stayed at the apartment.
Engelman and one of the men were sleeping on a pullout couch about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, when the man awoke to use the bathroom and smoke marijuana. The defendant also smoked marijuana, prosecutors said.
Minutes later, as the man attempted to go back to sleep, he felt something hitting his face and neck, authorities said.
He got up and observed Engelmann standing in front of him, holding a knife and muttering under his breath, authorities said.
The man started yelling as Engelmann entered the bedroom of the other man, who prosecutors say was awakened by the commotion. That man jumped up when Engelmann entered his bedroom and advanced toward him with the knife. The man yelled and collapsed in the doorway after Engelmann stabbed him, according to prosecutors.
Hearing her son scream, the mother entered and saw Engelmann standing over him, prosecutors said.
She grabbed his hand and forced him out of the apartment, then locked the door and called the police, prosecutors said.
Police said Engelmann fled, leaving behind a trail of blood. After obtaining his phone number, officers called him. Engelmann gave officers his location and was arrested near Northwest Highway and Route 53. Officers observed blood stains on his sweater and cuts on his hand. They also recovered the knife they believe was used in the attack.
The man who lives at the apartment received 13 stitches, prosecutors said.
The man who was sleeping on the pullout couch remained hospitalized as of Friday. Police had no update on his condition late Saturday morning.
A nearby preschool was placed on lockdown as the events unfolded, authorities said.