San Diego man attacks and stabs six people including a hotel security officer
San Diego California January 24th, 2023 A 25-year-old man was arrested early Monday in connection with attacks on six people in downtown San Diego, including two men in their 70s who were stabbed, San Diego police said.
Several people called 911 around 5:30 a.m. to report seeing a man armed with a knife who was near a 7-Eleven on West C Street near India Street.
The first victim in the attacks was a man in his 70s who was stabbed 14 times, said police Lt. Brian Avera. The man was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. Doctors told police he was expected to survive, Avera said.
After the attack, the assailant ran east on C Street and stopped outside a diner, where he allegedly confronted another man, brandishing a knife and demanding money, Avera said.
“The guy essentially said, ‘No, you’re on drugs, you’re high,’” Avera said.
According to police, the assailant next ran east, where he allegedly stole a backpack from a victim “by force” before running south on State Street toward the Westin hotel. That’s where he allegedly attacked a security guard near a loading dock, on West Broadway near State. The guard, who also was in his 70s, was stabbed four times, Avera said.
The guard was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, the lieutenant said.
Next, the armed man ran into The Guild Hotel on West Broadway near Columbia, where he pushed and shoved a man, police said.
Once inside the hotel, the man “goes behind the bar and starts throwing glasses and bottles at another person, the sixth victim,” Avera said. At that point, police said the man dropped his knife, which was picked up by people in the hotel and eventually turned over to officers.
Responding officers located the suspect and detained him shortly before 5:45 a.m. He was booked into jail on suspicion of four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and robbery and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to online booking records.
Avera said police are looking at multiple surveillance videos.