El Sereno stabbings: Police seek driver in first attack
Los Angeles police held a news conference Thursday morning and released updated details in the case against David Zapata, 32, suspected of stabbing two people in separate attacks hours apart in El Sereno on Friday. Zapata was arrested following a standoff in Alhambra Wednesday.
Police are seeking information about another person in the case.
David Zapata was not the driver of the dark-colored Honda CRV that Zapata fled in following the first attack that killed Xavier Chavarin, 17, Friday afternoon.
Zapata is accused of attacking Chavarin from behind without warning. Chavarin, a Woodrow Wilson High School student, was waiting to be picked up by family members outside King Torta restaurant on the 4500 block of Valley Boulevard in El Sereno at about 4 p.m. Friday, March 3.
Police said a 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 vehicle was driven by an unidentified, unknown person.
Police are trying to determine if the second person, identified only as a male, was involved in another knife attack in El Sereno later the same day.
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 second victim was treated and released from a hospital on Thursday.
Zapata was booked for murder and was held on $2 million bond.
Police said Thursday Zapata has seven misdemeanor arrests, but no felony arrests or convictions on his record.
A motive has not been determined. Zapata has no known links to either victim.
Police said he's been cooperative since his arrest.
David Zapata barricaded himself inside an Alhambra home early Wednesday morning for hours before surrendering to police.
Anyone with additional information was urged to call LAPD Central Bureau Homicide detectives at (213) 996-4116. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
