Teens Arrested after Stabbing at Newport Mansion House Party Brawl

Newport, RI — A 17-year-old Little Compton boy is recovering after he was stabbed multiple times during a melee at a house party at the Kingscote mansion on Saturday night, and three Newport teens are facing assorted charges in connection with the incident.

Police said the victim was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for treatment, and his condition is not known at this time.

The host of the house party, Josiah Travers, 18, who gave an address of 253 Bellevue Ave., has been charged with procuring alcohol for minors after police found beer cans and Solo cups strewn about the lawn and inside the house after they responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing.

Travers fled the scene and was uncooperative with police during the investigation, police said. Officers reported finding a temporary ID with his name, picture and date of birth in plain view in a bedroom on the second floor, and witnesses told police that they heard about the party on Snapchat. Police also said the key holder to the property, identified as Travers’ godfather, lets Travers stay at the mansion “occasionally.”

A 15-year-old Newport boy was charged with felony assault, vandalism and disorderly conduct for his role in the fight. He reportedly kicked and punched the victim multiple times during the assault, boasting about the crime to interviewing officers later at police headquarters and was incredulous when police told him he was being arrested, according to a police report.

The stabbing suspect, a 17-year-old Newport boy, was charged with felony assault.

Both boys are being held at the training school and were due to appear before a Family Court Judge on Monday.

Police described a chaotic scene outside the house, with party debris on the ground and dried blood spots on the path leading to a stairway connected to an open door on the property.

Witnesses told police that there were upwards of 50 people at the party, and the fight broke out not long before 1 a.m. after a verbal argument between several people escalated into a full-on fracas.

The victim's girlfriend told police that she pulled the victim from a group of people as he lay on the ground being kicked and punched. As they left, she grabbed his shirt and saw her hand was covered in blood. It was only then that they realized he had been stabbed.

Other witnesses said that the 15-year-old juvenile was yelling "Hillside" and "If you got a problem with Newport, let me know" during the party. He himself later told police that he was agitated that night and looking to pick a fight with anyone.

He was "very animated and almost bragging about the situation," a Newport detective wrote in his report.

He said that he had a beef with the victim ever since they had a verbal argument about a year ago during which he was called the n-word, police said.

"He said he has never forgiven him for it," police said.

The 15-year-old said when he got to the party, he went into the basement and saw the victim. He said he told his cousin, "see him? He might need to get [expletive] up by the end of the night," according to the report.

He said he was "plotting" to attack him, and "I was just in that mood. I would stomp anyone."

The 15-year-old then described in detail how the incident unfolded. He said the victim went upstairs. Then, several females began arguing. As people intervened in that altercation, the victim was sucker punched. Then, while on the ground, the 15-year-old said he struck the victim several times in the head with his fist, "even showing us his hands and saying 'see look at my hands, they're all red,'" police said.

He said there were about 15 "kids from Newport punching and kicking" the victim and his friend on the ground.

"Did you kick [the victim?]" police asked.

"Hell yeah I kicked him," the 15-year-old responded.

His mother, along with police, were not amused by the bravado, according to the police report. He reportedly snapped at his mother, saying "Ma, I'm Hillside, I'm street, that's how we roll in Newport."

But his mother gave him a lecture, and police told him he would be arrested. He seemed shocked and began to cry as he was handcuffed and booked.

Detectives continued to investigate by interviewing multiple witnesses and soon identified the suspected stabber, a 17-year-old Newport juvenile who turned himself in to police with his parents after police got an arrest warrant.

Police said that they contacted the boy's parents after identifying him as a suspect and asked he come to the station for questioning.

The boy said he was at the scene when the fight occurred but refused to provide any information and claimed that he left the scene after the brawl broke out.

This story is being updated.