Woman holds knife to boy in Vallejo market

A 7-year-old boy was accosted by a woman with a steak knife in a Vallejo grocery store before his parents fought her off, police said today.

The boy was standing with his family in the produce aisle of the Grocery Outlet at 66 Admiral Callaghan Lane (links.sfgate.com/ZHTC) when 47-year-old Dana Stevenson of Vallejo walked up to him about 12:10 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Stevenson grabbed the boy around his neck in a chokehold, produced a steak knife and began rambling about the Chinese Mafia and Michael Jackson, police Lt. Lee Horton said.

Stevenson then began dragging the boy from one end of the produce aisle to the other, Horton said.

The boy's father grabbed Stevenson from behind and forced her arms up and away from the child, police said. The boy's mother grabbed her son and took hold of the assailant's hand at the same time.

The mother suffered a laceration to the palm of one of her hands while struggling with Stevenson, Horton said. Store employees and other shoppers helped to detain Stevenson until police arrived.

The boy suffered abrasions and redness to his neck and was "quite shaken up," Horton said.

The family did not know Stevenson, police said. She was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon.