An East Boston woman accused of stabbing an EMT seven times was questioned by members of the state’s Joint Terrorism Task Force a day before the attack for a possible link to hoax bomb threats called into airports, including Martha’s Vineyard Airport, authorities said.
Julie Tejeda, 31, was ordered held without bail Thursday while undergoing a mental health evaluation. She is due back in court July 31.
She’s charged with assault to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and assault and battery on a public employee.
State Police spokesman David Procopio said Tejeda “was cooperative” and “exhibited no terroristic intentions” while task force members spoke to her Tuesday.
“Investigators jointly determined to seize her phone through a court-authorized warrant in furtherance of the ongoing hoax threat investigation,” Procopio added.
Tejeda is accused of stabbing a female EMT seven times in the abdomen and legs and pepper-spraying her and a colleague as the EMTs were trying to treat her, a prosecutor said. One stab wound nearly hit the femoral artery in the EMT’s leg, and another in her abdomen was nearly 4 inches deep.
The ambulance had picked Tejeda up in East Boston and was taking her to Massachusetts General Hospital for a wellness evaluation when prosecutors said she became agitated that she was being taken to the hospital and attacked the EMT. The initial 911 call came from an East Boston fire station, and both police and EMTs responded, police said.
When her partner, who was driving the ambulance, immediately pulled over next to the Boston Municipal Court — the same courthouse Tejeda was arraigned in Thursday — to help, he was also stung by the pepper spray.
The female EMT was released from MGH Thursday night “to continue her recovery at home,” Boston EMS announced. Her partner was in court Thursday to witness the arraignment.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins also said Tejeda had been on police radar the last few days, and her office was looking into a connection between the suspect and the hoax airport bomb threats.
The court clinician, Dr. Jeff Miner, said while Tejeda was an “intelligent and well-spoken woman,” Tejeda told him the attack was part of a bigger story involving high-profile officials and that she was in danger.
She has recently stopped taking her medications and stopped going to therapy, Miner said.
Prosecutor Jessica Erickson said Tejeda posed a flight risk and was a danger to society — with Rollins adding, “She’s not walking out of this courtroom and potentially harming someone else.”
“I wanted to look in their faces and say we’re going to fight as hard as we can to get accountability for these two people that risk their lives every day to save us and to protect us,” Rollins said of EMTs. “We’re going to do everything in our power to help.”
