Mother of airman hailed as hero for helping thwart attack on trail praising arrest in stabbing case

CALIFORNIA -- The mother of a U.S. airman who was hailed as a hero for helping thwart a European terror attack on a train is praising the arrest of a man later accused of stabbing her son near a bar in Sacramento, California.

Joyce Eskel, mother of Air Force Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone, said in a telephone interview that the family is relieved and grateful after police announced the arrest Wednesday of 28-year-old James Tran.

Tran is charged with the attempted murder of Stone, who was stabbed on Oct. 8 during a fight.

Eskel says her son's injuries were worse than initially reported by doctors.

He was knifed four times, not three as doctors said. She says doctors opened her son's chest to repair lacerations to his heart and liver and a collapsed lung.