San Rafael man arrested in attempted murder of his mother
Early Tuesday morning, SRPD arrested Walenton Deleon-Diaz, a 26-year-old San Rafael resident, in connection with the attempted homicide of his mother. Deleon-Diaz was booked into the Marin County Jail on several felony charges, which included attempted homicide. The victim was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive.
Just before 1 AM, SRPD Dispatch received a 911 call that a family member had just stabbed their mother in an apartment located on Fairfax Street in San Rafael.
Upon arrival, police saw the suspect in the middle of Fairfax Street in front of the apartment complex where the incident occurred, yelling as they arrived. Deleon-Diaz did not follow verbal directions and commands, and also indicated that he was still in possession of the knife he had used to stab his mother.
As the officers approached, Deleon-Diaz grabbed the front of his waistband, where he said he had the knife. When the safety risk he posed to himself and others became clear, a 40-millimeter non-lethal sponge round was used and struck Deleon-Diaz. He dropped to the ground and was taken into custody without further incident.
The officers were able to get to the apartment and provide stabilizing first aid to the victim; paramedics later arrived and transported her to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators concluded that Deleon-Diaz had gotten into a verbal argument with his mother that escalated, ultimately leading to him stabbing her several times with a knife. Other family members intervened and called the police. The victim is expected to survive and is listed in stable condition.
Deleon-Diaz was medically cleared and booked into the Marin County Jail for attempted homicide, mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon - not a firearm, and criminal threats. He is being held in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call San Rafael Police at (415) 485-3000. Tips can also be made online at http://www.srpd.org/tips.