4 teens, 1 adult held for assault on Surprise girl

Four teens and a 41-year-old woman who drove them to and from the crime scene have been arrested for the assault on a 15-year-old Surprise girl, police said.

The incident took place on Aug. 18 when the girl, who lives in the 15200 block of North 134th Lane in Surprise, was assaulted by a group of teenage girls.

The victim said the girls entered her home through an open back door and a fight ensued, resulting in the victim cutting one of the subjects with a kitchen knife in self-defense, according to Surprise police.

Her 6-year-old sibling was also home at the time of the attack but was not hurt.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released for minor injuries.

When the assault occurred, the victim only knew the name of one of the suspects, and knew the others only by their nicknames, police said.

Subsequent investigation resulted in the identification of five suspects, who were interviewed and admitted their participation in the assault and burglary. The four teenagers were charged with felonies for aggravated assault and burglary. Kimberly Sutton, 41, of Glendale, was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and burglary, for knowingly providing transportation to and from the crime scene.

Police say the apparent motivation for the assault was an ongoing dispute between the victim and one of the suspects.