Sacramento man suspected in stabbing at Mexico-Qatar Gold Cup soccer match at Levi's Stadium
SACRAMENTO – The suspect wanted for a stabbing in the stands during this past weekend's CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match at Levi's Stadium between Mexico and Qatar has been arrested in Sacramento.
Santa Clara paid host to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Gold Cup on Sunday.
Towards the end of the match, there was a fight in the stands that involved several fans.
As captured in multiple videos, a suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed a man in the neck. The suspect, who was wearing a green Mexican national team soccer jersey, was able to leave the stadium before being caught.
On Wednesday, Santa Clara police announced that the suspect had been identified as 29-year-old Alejandro Garcia-Villanueva – a Sacramento resident.
Detectives served a search warrant at Garcia-Villanueva's 3300 block of 22nd Avenue home on the Fourth of July. Police say evidence related to the investigation was found during the warrant search.
Garcia-Villanueva was arrested by detectives and has been booked into Santa Clara County Jail. He's facing a charge of attempted murder.
Santa Clara police also initially identified a woman as a possible person of interest, but detectives said it was determined that she had not committed a crime.
Police noted that "advanced video technology" at Levi's Stadium, along with community input, helped detectives identify both the suspect and the initial person of interest.
The stabbing prompted a condemnation from the Mexican Soccer Federation, who released a statement on Tuesday that offered to work with authorities to try and prevent such violence in the future.
Levi's Stadium issued a statement Wednesday saying they are looking for ways to increase stadium safety.
"The safety of our guests is our highest priority and we condemn the act of violence that took place at the stadium on Sunday. In collaboration with local, state and federal agencies, Levi's Stadium employs security industry best practices for all events across the board. We regularly evaluate our security protocols and are in the process of conducting an internal investigation alongside Santa Clara Police to identify areas for improvement. We're thankful for the diligent work of the local police both during the event and in the days since."
