Hughes | DNSO

The Del Norte County Sheriff has released the name of the victim in Tuesday’s fatal stabbing, and says the suspect in the case was arraigned on murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges on Thursday.

The victim has been identified as 69-year-old Rick Alan Nations, Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Friday.

According to Scott, the suspect in the case, 42-year-old Gabriel Joseph Hughes, had allegedly walked up to the victim’s home near the 1300 block of Keller Avenue at about 1 p.m. Tuesday. Nations saw Hughes coming and stepped out onto the porch to talk to him when the attack occurred, Scott said. The alleged attack on Nations was unprovoked, according to the sheriff.

“The suspect was living at the neighbor’s house, sleeping on their couch,” Scott told the Outpost. “He’s been in the area for awhile.”

Nations’ daughter, who is in her early 20s, was also injured during the confrontation with Hughes, Scott said. She has been released from Sutter Coast Hospital, the sheriff said.

When deputies arrived on the scene Tuesday, they found Nations’ daughter with a stab wound to her neck and her father about 50 to 60 feet from her with multiple stab wounds, according to Scott. After arresting Hughes, deputies recovered a knife at the crime scene, Scott told the Outpost on Tuesday.

The Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol helped process the scene. According to Scott, his office is working with the DA’s office to “ensure that Hughes is held accountable and the case is done correctly.”

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