Man Cuts Throat of Dinner Guest

Santa Barbara police have arrested a 20-year-old man named Sam Maphis who allegedly slashed the throat of a dinner guest hosted by his uncle this Saturday night. The victim, a friend of Maphis’s uncle, survived the attack, though the wound ran 4.5 inches long and nearly an inch deep.

Police say Maphis has a history of mental illness and that there was no incident that witnesses could point to that triggered the attack. Maphis was not participating in the meal at the time of the assault, though was reportedly acting strangely in another room. When his uncle expressed outrage over the assault, Maphis reportedly threatened his uncle while pointing the knife at him.

Maphis fled the house, located in a neighborhood overlooking Elings Park. It was at the entrance of that park that he surrendered to authorities several hours later. Maphis is charged with attempted murder and making terrorist threats, and he is being held on $2.5 million bail, $1.5 million more than is typically set for such allegations.