Police: ‘Hate,’ violence drove suspect in random stabbings
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — A gang member who killed four people and wounded two others in random stabbings across two Southern California cities has a violent past, police said Thursday, and court records show he was free on bail for a charge last month of carrying a concealed dagger.
Zachary Castaneda “could have injured or killed many other people” had he not been arrested Wednesday after two hours of robberies and vicious knife attacks, Garden Grove police Chief Tom DaRe said Thursday.
A blood-covered Castaneda was taken into custody when he walked out of a convenience store in neighboring Santa Ana, dropping a knife and a gun he had taken from a security guard he had just killed, police said.
“He remained violent with us through the night,” DaRe said. “He never told us why he did this.”
Castaneda’s long criminal record includes prison stints for possession of meth for sale while armed with an assault rifle, and car theft.
His arrest last month on charges of having a concealed dagger and drug charges came while he was on bail for his June arrest on charges of street gang vandalism.
The only known motive for the violence seems to be “robbery, hate, homicide,” Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney told reporters.
Whitney said police had previously gone to Castaneda’s Garden Grove apartment over a child custody issue. Court records show his wife, Yessica Rodriguez, sought a restraining order last year after she said Castaneda threw a beer can at her 16-year-old daughter. She said also sought an order against him in 2009 when he broke her arm during a fight.