K-Mart security agent stabbed by shoplifter
Visalia CA May 11 2018 A Visalia Kmart security employee was stabbed multiple times in the neck and now detectives are trying to piece the puzzle together.
Police were called right after the employee was stabbed in the neck. Officers rushed to the scene while employees gave dispatchers a description of the attacker, later identified as 43-year-old Jeremy Kechloian.
Police surrounded the store and found a man in the back of the retailer, which shares a parking lot with SaveMart.
While Kechloian was being questioned by Visalia detectives, he assaulted the arresting officers.
The officer suffered a minor injury, DeJong said.
Witnesses say the employee may have tried to stop Kechloian from stealing items when the suspect stabbed him.
Visalia Sgt. Gerrit DeJong said details were still coming in as to what may have provoked the assailant.
A bloody trail leads from the front of the store to the parking lot.
DeJong added that employees reported that Kechloian was acting “erratically” in the store before lunging for the employee’s neck. Police are investigating if drugs or alcohol may have led to the violent altercation.
“The victim was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center,” DeJong said. “The suspect is in custody.”
The victim is in stable condition, police said.
It’s also not clear what Kechloian used to stab the employee. Some witnesses described the object as keys, while others said the man used a knife.
