A 28-year-old North Platte woman who police have been searching for since a December knife attack has been arrested.

On December 23, 2016, officers responded to the Emergency Room at Great Plains Health where a 20-year-old female victim was being treated for a possible stab wound.

Officers arrived and found that the woman had a large laceration to her scalp and forehead area, which was several inches long and required numerous staples.

The victim told officers that she had been at the Knights Inn Motel, 501 Halligan Drive, when she had been assaulted.

Officers responded to the motel and located the room where the alleged assault had occurred. Investigator John Deal says blood evidence was found inside of the room.

Several witnesses in the room were interviewed, and it was determined that Victoria Arriola owed the victim money and had been invited to the room by the victim.

Deal says Arriola and a male subject arrived and a confrontation took place, at which time Arriola reportedly produced a large fixed-blade knife and slashed the victim across the head. Arriola and the male then left the scene.

According to Deal, statements made by witnesses made it obvious that the disagreement revolved around the distribution of methamphetamine.

Officers searched for Arriola but were unable to locate her and a warrant for her arrest was issued.

On February 2, an officer saw a vehicle with no license plates driving in the 700 block of West Ninth Street and conducted a traffic stop.

The officer made contact with the male driver, Steven Perez, and a female passenger identified as Arriola.

Arriola was taken into custody and jailed on charges of 1st-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Perez was jailed for felony driving under suspension.  Deal says his license was suspended for 15 years.

A knife was recovered during the course of the investigation but Deal says investigators have not confirmed that it was the knife used in the attack.

The victim recovered from her injury.