Parkland man accused of killing neighbor after loud noise wakes him

PARKLAND, Wash. -- A 21-year-old man was arrested early Tuesday in the stabbing death of his 50-year-old neighbor. Investigators have said it all started as a fight over noise at their apartment complex.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said officers were called to the University Park Apartments in the 400 block of Wheeler Street South in Parkland around 11:30 p.m. Monday.



Officers found the body of the 50-year-old man in a stairwell.  Investigators said he had been stabbed multiple times.

A short time later, the man’s downstairs neighbor, a 21-year-old man, was arrested.

Detectives said the younger man was sleeping inside his apartment when a loud noise from the floor above woke him.

Investigators said the man went upstairs and confronted the older man about the noise.  That led to an argument, then to a physical fight.

“During the struggle the suspect stabbed the victim several times with a pocket knife before leaving the victim in the stairway and returning to his apartment,” said sheriff's detective Ed Troyer.

The 21-year-old was booked into jail and could face second-degree murder charges.