Photo: Joey Armstrong hides his face in court (KGET)
TEHACHAPI – 36-year-old Joey Armstrong was arrested after stabbing his sister on September 9th. In the holding cell, Armstrong seemed to be surprised when told why he was being held.
The suspect admitted to heavy drinking prior to the incident. When asked how much he drank, Armstrong said “half a gallon of vodka.”
The self-admitted long-time alcoholic also admitted to periods of blacking out and rage.
Armstrong was charged with first-degree murder and had his bail set at $1 million.
Apparently the argument with 37-year-old Gina Armstrong was over leaving the windows open in the house in the 1400 block of Green Street.
Other family members who lived in the house included their father and Joey’s wife and children.
The suspect’s wife reported that they had been separated for ten years but had recently gotten back together.
As a side note – even though Armstrong claims to have not remembered the stabbing because of his drunken stupor, he managed to have enough control of his faculties to change out of his bloody shirt, hiding it behind the laundry basket in the house.
