Cal Poly Pomona Campus Officer Fatally Stabbed By Custodian; Suspect Later Shot Dead By Police
POMONA (CBSLA) -- A campus parking officer was fatally stabbed at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Friday and the suspect -- a school custodian -- was later shot to death by officers.
The stabbing occurred at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 3500 block of West Pomona Boulevard, and the shooting happened about 25 minutes later near University Road and Temple Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
A fellow employee found the victim stabbed to death in his truck in a rural part of the campus, sheriff's Lt. John Corina said. The victim was a 36-year-old man whose name will be released pending notification of next of kin, said Lt. Dave Smith of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
A short time later, witnesses called police to report they might have located the 31-year-old suspect near Lyle Center, the sheriff's department said.
Police said that, following the stabbing, the suspect had driven to another part of the campus, about a half mile away. At this location, witnesses said the man acted erratically.
"People we talked to, who saw this guy, they described him as looking out of it. And when they went to contact him, one of the witnesses said he started fighting with them," Corina said.
Officers from the Pomona Police Department and California State University Police arrived on scene and opened fire on the suspect. He died at the scene. A knife was also recovered on scene.
"It looks like the suspect probably worked here on campus," Corina said. "He may have been a custodian here."
Summer school classes and orientation sessions for incoming freshmen were taking place on campus Friday, and a university spokesman said safety remains a top priority.
"I want to assure the university and incoming freshmen and their families this is a very safe community," Cal Poly Public Information Officer Tim Lynch said. "They're in good hands."
Several streets were shut down during the investigation.
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