Victim was stabbed and then his vehicle was stolen by suspect
A Longview man was stabbed and then had his vehicle stolen in an incident that took place early Thursday in La Center.
At 4:55 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 10), Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a residence near NW 41st Avenue and NW Pekin Ferry Road, near La Center. A resident reported to 9-1-1 that an unknown male showed up at their residence, bleeding profusely from stab wounds.
The victim, identified as 49-year-old Lauren Higgins of Longview, reported to deputies that he had been stabbed by a known subject in his vehicle. The stabbing had occurred near the Pekin Ferry Road residence. The subject then stole Higgins’ vehicle and left the area. Higgins was transported to an area hospital with stab wounds that were later found to be non-life threatening.
At about 7:25 a.m., law enforcement officers from Cowlitz County located the suspect in the victim’s vehicle, near South Pacific Avenue and Mill Street in Kelso. Mark Laurila, 51, was taken into custody. Laurila was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of Robbery, 1st Degree and Attempted Murder. Laurila was listed as a resident of Castle Rock.
All persons involved in this incident have been accounted for, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating possible motives for this crime.
Information provided by Clark Co. Sheriff’s Office.
