Prosecutors charged Janieka Ellington with attempted murder after an I-5 crash near DuPont and a knife attack on her daughters.

Four attempted-murder counts are the state's accusation. They are not a finding about intent. Prosecutors split them in two: two counts say she tried to kill with a knife, and two say she tried to kill with the crash. KIRO 7 reported her lawyer has asked for a competency evaluation, due in several weeks. Until that comes back, the first question is whether she can stand trial at all.

FOX 13 Seattle reported that charging documents were filed Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Pierce County Superior Court against Janieka Amber Marie Ellington, 35, over an incident the morning of Monday, Oct. 5, near milepost 118 on Interstate 5 near DuPont. Washington State Patrol troopers responded shortly before 9 a.m. to reports of an SUV driving erratically, the station reported, and investigators said Ellington crashed into a concrete barrier and the SUV landed on its side. KIRO 7 reported her two daughters, between the ages of 9 and 15, were in the car. Court records identify the girls only by initials. We do not name them.

According to court records FOX 13 described, Ellington told hospital staff and troopers she had been drinking whiskey the night before and was driving with no sleep, and one of her daughters told investigators Ellington believed people were following them. KIRO 7 reported the daughters told investigators she woke them up because she believed they were being followed, and that both say she threatened to kill them and tried to stab them before and after the crash. Witnesses reported she chased her teenage daughter with a knife while threatening to kill her, FOX 13 reported. Both girls were taken to hospitals, and the younger one appeared to have multiple cuts and broken bones, KIRO 7 reported, citing documents. Those are the accounts in the charging papers. They have not been tested in court.

FOX 13 reported that three Good Samaritans, including two soldiers, disarmed Ellington and held her on the ground until troopers arrived. KIRO 7 described three Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers wrestling her and taking away a large knife. "I just did my part," Sgt. Ricardo A. Nunez, a 7th Infantry Division soldier stationed at JBLM, told FOX 13. "I am glad I was there to help those girls and was just in the right place at the right time." Nathan Wilkinson, who passed the wreck on his way to work and called 911, told KIRO 7, "I hope they get recognized because it's a special thing that they did."

FOX 13 reported that Prosecuting Attorney Mary E. Robnett charged two counts of first-degree attempted murder alleging intent to kill by stabbing or cutting, two alleging intent to kill through the crash, two counts of vehicular assault alleging reckless or impaired driving that caused substantial bodily harm, and one count of felony harassment for threats to kill. KIRO 7 described six attempted-murder counts. The charging papers set the number, and FOX 13's itemized list shows four. Prosecutors added domestic-violence designations and aggravating circumstances alleging abuse of a position of trust and particularly vulnerable victims, and noted children under 16 were in the car, FOX 13 reported. Each attempted-murder count carries a maximum of life in prison under Washington law. KIRO 7 reported Ellington's lawyer requested a mental competency evaluation, which is due in several weeks. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.