Santa Rosa teens face attempted murder charges after stabbing
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Six high school students in Santa Rosa have been arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide after allegedly stabbing a man last week, police said Wednesday.
Last Thursday around 3:45 p.m., a 41-year-old man was riding his bicycle in the area of Bellevue Ranch Park on Arrowhead Drive when he said he saw approximately 15 juveniles in the park. According to police, the man and the juveniles engaged in "confrontational language" and then a "large" group of juveniles began to chase the man as he tried to ride off on his bicycle.
The juveniles reached the man in the 2100 block of Bellevue Ranch Road, and six of them allegedly began assaulting him and stole his bike. Police said the man was stabbed between eight and ten times, with one wound to his neck, running parallel to his spinal column.
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Several witnesses called 911 and one woman drove her vehicle in the direction of the group of juveniles and told them to stop, according to police. This caused the juveniles to scatter, with some getting into a vehicle and being driven out of the area.
A resident that is a nurse rushed to the aid of the man and applied pressure to his wounds, police said. First responders then arrived and took the man to the hospital, where he was treated and released. He is expected to survive.
The Santa Rosa Police Department's gang crimes unit took over the investigation and obtained surveillance footage which allegedly showed four of the juvenile suspects running to the Elsie Allen High School campus after the attack. They fled in a vehicle believed to belong to one of the suspects.
According to police, all six suspects are either current or former students at Elsie Allen, with one currently attending Pivot Charter School.
On Wednesday, the gang crimes unit and other officers carried out surveillance operations to attempt to arrest four of the suspects as they left their residences for school, and one suspect as he left his residence for a court hearing. The sixth suspect had already been booked into Juvenile Hall on a probation violation.
The ages of the suspects are one 15, two 17, and three 16 year olds.
One 16-year-old suspect was allegedly found with a disassembled firearm in his backpack. A search of his residence allegedly uncovered a 3D printer and more firearm parts. Detectives believe the boy was using the 3D to manufacture parts for firearms.
Search warrants were carried out at other suspects' residences and police allegedly found knives, gang paraphernalia, and electronic devices, all of which were seized.
Five of the juveniles were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, robbery, participating in a criminal street gang and an additional gang enhancement. A 17-year-old was arrested on the same suspicions, along with being a minor in possession of a handgun, carrying concealed weapon, the unlawful manufacturing of firearms, and being a ward of the court.
According to police, one of the juveniles had already been arrested for his alleged involvement in the June homicide of Felix Vargas, three of the juveniles are already on probation, and three have prior firearm arrests.