Bend man stabbed near COCC; roommate jailed

(Update: COCC corrects info, says both suspect and victim are students)

One roommate stabbed another twice early Saturday during an argument near Central Oregon Community College, sending one of the men to the hospital and the other to jail, police said.

Officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to a reported stabbing in the 1600 block of Northwest Newport Avenue, Lt. Jason Maniscalco said.

They arrived to find Peter Ruch, 20, with two stab wounds. He was taken by Bend Fire ambulance to St. Charles Bend.

Maniscalco said investigators discovered Ruch and roommate Andrew Rosston, 18, got into an altercation while walking along College Way, near the COCC campus.

Preliminary information determined the two men’s argument escalated to the point where Rosston stabbed Ruch in the hand, the lieutenant said.

The two men continued to argue as they walked south on College Way toward their home on Newport Avenue. Maniscalco said when they arrived there, the argument escalated again and Rosston stabbed Ruch a second time.

Police searched the pair’s residence and conducted interviews, also recovering the knife allegedly used in the incident.

Rosston was arrested shortly after noon Saturday and booked into the Deschutes County Jail on charges of first-degree aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon. His bail was set at $110,000, jail records showed.

Maniscalco said all parties involved have been identified and there is no related threat to the community.

COCC spokesman Ron Paradis both men are currently students at the college.