Prosecutor Won't File Charges for Battle Creek Stabbing Death

Calhoun County Prosecuting Attorney won't file charges against 18-year-old who stabbed his mother's boyfriend.

Battle Creek Police were called to the 300 block of Main Street at 12:30 a.m. on March 17 where they discovered the body of 43-year-old Christopher Dykstra. Dykstra appeared to have a single stab wound to his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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At the time Battle Creek Police said that a knife was located nearby, and police talked to an 18-year-old man who was near the scene and believed to be involved. The preliminary investigation showed the man may have acted in self-defense, resulting in Dykstra’s death. A claim that relatives of Dykstra had disputed.

The 18-year-old, Jose Serbantez, was the son of Dystra's girlfriend. Police said that Dykstra and the 18-year-old's mother, Amber Correnti, had a history of domestic violence and a no-contact order was in place at the time of the incident.

Calhoun County Prosecutor David Gilbert said Serbantez later provided more information in subsequent interviews, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer. Serbantez told investigators that Dykstra allegedly came to the residence extremely agitated and made threats of violence towards Correnti before physically engaging with the teen.

Serbantez said that Dykstra taunted and spit at him before they moved outside head-butting the teen, knocking him back. Serbantez said that when Dykstra tried to attack the teen's mother, that he stabbed him.

Prosecutor Gilbert cited Michigan's 'stand-your-ground self defense law. Stand your ground allows for an individual who honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.