A man was arrested for allegedly slashing a victim’s throat so deeply that it left his trachea exposed.
Christopher Parkins has been charged with attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon and assault, according to Multnomah County jail records viewed by Oxygen.com.
It is unclear whether Parkins has entered a plea and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.com.
On April 19, Christopher Thomas entered a Denny’s in Portland with a slit throat that was bleeding badly, according to an affidavit obtained by Oxygen.com.
When police located the suspect—identified as Parkins—he was holding a 4-inch blade, partially concealed in his sleeve, and was, according to the affidavit, “extremely tense, as if every muscle in his body was flexed.”
Parkins told police he is homeless and had not slept in a few days, per the affidavit, admitting he had no memory of cutting anyone or how he arrived in the Denny’s area. He confessed to smoking meth often and noted he had drank whiskey the night before.
When police reiterated what allegedly occurred, Parkins said, per the affidavit, “Everything feels like it’s not even real, like real.”
Though the incident left Thomas’ trachea exposed, he underwent a successful surgery and is now recovering.
His mom Deborah Thomas spoke out after the shocking attack on her son.
“I just want to say, thank you from the bottom of my heart," she told KOIN 6 News, “Because if it would have been any longer, he would have bled to death.”
A spokesperson from Denny’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Parkins’ next court date is May 4.
