Man held without bail after allegedly stabbing two teens

LYNN – A judge ordered a city man held without bail after police said the man stabbed two teens in the back, puncturing one teen’s lung, while trying to help a friend during a fight over a girl.Azariah Ball, 21, of 3 River Street Place, was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts; at 5:13 p.m. Tuesday.He was arraigned on the charges Wednesday in Lynn District Court where a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.Police responded to Western Avenue and Franklin Street at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday and found a witness inside a car and the two alleged victims – a 16-year-old male and a 17-year-old male – in an ambulance, according to a report by Lynn Police Officer Michael Economou.The witness told police she got a call saying there was a fight involving Ball and her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend and his friend. (The latter two are the 16-year-old and 17-year-old alleged victims, respectively.)The witness told police she arrived and began arguing with Ball and a fight started, with Ball allegedly telling her to get the teens away or they would be stabbed, according to police.The witness said she got into her car to drive away and the alleged victims jumped in and told her to drive them to Union Hospital because Ball had stabbed them, according to police. The witness said she saw an ambulance on the way and flagged it down.Police reported contacting the ex-boyfriend’s mother (who immediately guessed the fight involved the ex-girlfriend and Ball) and finding the ex-boyfriend. He told police he and Ball were walking back from working out at Lynn Tech, where the ex-boyfriend worked in the weight room, when the current boyfriend began yelling at him.The ex-boyfriend said the current boyfriend was with eight or nine other people and challenged him to a fight, which he refused. When approached a second time, the current boyfriend allegedly punched the ex-boyfriend.The ex-boyfriend said he never saw Ball stab anybody or holding a knife, but he said Ball usually carried a knife and admitted to stabbing the current boyfriend, according to police. The ex-boyfriend told police the knife was at the ex-girlfriend’s house, where he and Ball went after the incident to speak with the ex-girlfriend’s cousin, police reported.Police reported Ball said he had been jumped and “blacked out” after being punched in the face. Officers noted no injuries to Ball’s face, however, according to reports.Essex Assistant District Attorney Emily Mello requested Ball be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing. She said police reported Wednesday morning that the current boyfriend’s lung had collapsed after being punctured in the incident. Both victims were being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. A public defender did not challenge probable cause for the hearing.Judge Joseph Jennings ordered Ball held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next Wednesday.