Suspected Gang Member Accused Of Stabbing 2 Black Men In Covina Shopping Center
COVINA (CBSLA.com) — An alleged Latino gang member was in custody Monday morning on suspicion of stabbing two black men in the parking lot of a Covina shopping center in what police say was a hate crime.
Louis Vasquez, 19, of La Puente, is suspected of slashing a 27-year-old man who was walking through a parking lot of a shopping center in the 100 block of North Azusa Avenue Saturday night. Vasquez then stabbed an 18-year-old store employee as he retrieved shopping cars, Covina police Sgt. Gregg Peterson said.
The 27-year-old was cut on his right shoulder and left knee and was recovering after knee surgery Monday night. The 18-year-old clerk was stabbed in the back of his right shoulder and was released from the hospital over the weekend, according to police.
Both victims are black and did not know each other.
Witnesses provided a description of the suspect, who was armed with a knife and was last seen running northbound from the shopping center at 7:41 p.m. Saturday, Peterson said.
While police set up a containment area, a resident in the 800 block of West Edna Place reported a man running through backyards, the sergeant said. Vasquez was arrested in the backyard of a home.
He was later booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement and hate crime and was due in court Tuesday. Bail was set at $500,000.
Police say Vasquez had just been released from L.A. County jail for felony theft Saturday morning. CBS2/KCAL9 is told Vasquez served less than half of his 242-day sentence due to jail overcrowding.
Anyone with information about the stabbing attacks can call Covina police detectives at (626) 384-5665.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
