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Home invasion suspects end up in hospital

A suspected home invasion in Butler turned into a bloody knife fight, city police said.

The alleged victim of the ill-planned marijuana rip-off suffered 14 stab wounds in the apparent attempted robbery earlier this week at a Virginia Avenue apartment.

But the two suspects — Steven Lee McCardle, 23, no known address and Jason Lee Roberts, 28, of Butler — possibly got the worst of it.

McCardle and Roberts ended up in the hospital with stab wounds of their own, delivered in self-defense by the pair's intended target, 44-year-old Richard Lee Mackalica, investigators said.

Mackalica did not seek medical treatment for his injuries that police Capt. David Dalcamo described as “superficial to moderate.”

Police on Thursday — four days after the alleged crime — arrested McCardle and Roberts. The men were to be arraigned this morning on felony charges of robbery, conspiracy, burglary, aggravated assault and trespass.

They are in the Butler County Prison.

Mackalica is free on his own recognizance following his arrest Tuesday on unrelated charges of selling marijuana in connection with a drug task force investigation last year.

Police began investigating the suspected robbery after getting a call about 3:35 a.m. Sunday from Butler Memorial Hospital, where both defendants had appeared with stab wounds.

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