The girl's 52-year-old aunt, identified as Hellen Coley, has been taken into custody and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Coley was in the Wake County jail Friday on $50,000 bond, with a court appearance scheduled for Friday afternoon.
According to Garner police Officer Marc Finochio, who responded to 100 Stonecutter Court around 11:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate, Coley and the victim were arguing over a cell phone. The argument turned physical.
Coley allegedly struck the victim with a belt. In return, the victim punched Coley in the left eye.
Coley's left eye was said to be visibly swollen during questioning.
The police report says Coley used a knife to stab her niece in the torso area. The victim also sustained injuries to the shoulder and hand.
"Alcohol appears to be a factor at this time," Finochio said, adding that a preliminary breath test showed Coley's blood-alcohol content to be .28 -- 3.5 times higher than the legal threshold for driving a motor vehicle.
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