El Sereno stabbings: Barricaded suspect surrenders in Alhambra
A suspect wanted for allegedly stabbing two people, one fatally, in separate attacks hours apart in El Sereno on Friday night barricaded himself inside an Alhambra home early Wednesday morning for hours before surrendering to police.
Los Angeles and Alhambra police officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant at the home on Westmont Drive. Two hours later, David Zapata came out the front door around 9:12 a.m. and walked up to SWAT officers on the street and surrendered.
A crisis negotiation team at the scene assured Zapata of his safety if he surrendered peacefully, police said.
He was handcuffed without incident. Neighbors reported that Zapata suffers from mental issues and was known by police.
"From what I understand, working with the Alhambra Police Department, he has been a problem in this neighborhood, so hopefully he'll be brought to justice and is no longer going to harm anybody in Los Angeles or in the city of Alhambra," LAPD Commander German Hurtado said after the arrest.
Family members of Xavier Chavarin, the 17-year-old Wilson High School student killed in Friday's first attack, were also at the Alhambra scene Wednesday morning. They said they wanted to be present as the suspect was taken into custody.
Chavarin's father told KCAL News he had been frustrated with some of the details that were released during the investigation. He feared the suspect might flee, and he wanted to witness his capture.
Police believe the suspect is suffering from mental illness, is a narcotics user, and was armed with knives. Zapata is suspected of stabbing two people in separate attacks in El Sereno on Friday. Chavarin was killed in the first attack.
LAPD Commander Hurtado confirmed there was a tactical incident at the Alhambra location Wednesday morning. Crisis negotiators were on scene attempting a peaceful resolution, Hurtado said.
No one else was inside the house during the standoff, but others in the house left earlier "in a clandestine manner," Hurtado said. It was thought that Zapata may have been armed with knives but police did not believe he had firearms.
Hurtado said police had been working with Zapata's family to end the standoff with a safe resolution.
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Before Wednesday morning's incident, police were searching for a man who stabbed two people in separate attacks at locations a mile and a half apart on Friday. A high school student was killed.
Xavier Chavarin, a 17-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School student, was waiting to be picked up outside King Torta restaurant on the 4500 block of Valley Boulevard in El Sereno at about 4 p.m. Friday.
Police say an unidentified man with long wavy black hair and a long beard approached Chavarin and stabbed him multiple times. Chavarin died inside the restaurant. The suspect fled in a black 1996-2001 Honda CR-V. Police said Thursday the suspect, David Zapata, was not the driver, and were seeking the second person to determine their potential involvement.
Hours later, at about 9 p.m. Friday, investigators believe the same suspect approached a 33-year-old man on the 5400 block of Valley Blvd., about a mile and a half away, and stabbed him several times, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept. Police said the suspect did not say anything to the victim. The suspect fled on a skateboard. The condition of the second victim was not immediately released.
Police said the suspect was last seen wearing black shoes, pants, shirt and a long black jacket. He was seen wearing a black baseball hat with white lettering in the first attack.
Family members gathered at the spot of Chavarin's attack in El Sereno Tuesday evening, leaving candles and flowers behind.
"There are no words for this pain," said Rosario Chavarin at the memorial. She said that Xavier was expected to graduate with honors.
After the incident, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho spoke on the incident at a memorial for Chavarin.
"I'm shocked, as the entire community should be shocked," Carvalho said. "When something goes wrong with a kid like that, the entire community should bow its head and think about what's happening in Los Angeles."
According to the Los Angeles Times, Gregorio Verbera, the principal at WWHS, also sent a message to the student body on Sunday, which said: "I am saddened to report the recent death of one of our students off campus. On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to those who are impacted by this loss, including the student's family, friends and teachers."
Additional counselors were provided to WWHS in hopes of providing comfort to staff and students affected by the death of one of their own.
