Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 9, 1991                   TAG: 9104090619
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Laurence Hammack
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WOMAN IS CHARGED IN STABBING

Lisa Lynn Scruggs was at Roanoke Memorial Hospital today with stab wounds to her chest, upper left leg, chin, ear, neck and arms. A nursing supervisor declined to release information on her condition at the request of family members.

Police have charged Brenda K. Harper, 20, with malicious wounding in the attack. Harper and Scruggs apparently lived in the same apartment in the 2600 block of Westover Avenue.

Authorities gave the following account:

At about 11:50 p.m., a woman broke through the door of the apartment where Scruggs lived and attacked her in the living room.

A second woman who joined the assailant used a knife to keep a friend in the apartment from helping Scruggs. As the friend was held at knifepoint, Scruggs was knocked down, her head was beaten on the floor and she was stabbed repeatedly.

After the attack, Scruggs managed to make it to a nearby apartment and called for help.

Harper was arrested a short time later on Burks Street Southwest. No information was available today on a possible motive for the stabbing.

In an unrelated incident, police are investigating an assault in the Jamestown housing project that left a man severely bitten above his left eye.

John L. Waters, 26, of Virginia Avenue Northwest, was bitten during a fight with the ex-husband of his girlfriend, police said. Witnesses told police that a knife was brandished during the dispute, which happened about 8:40 p.m. Monday.