More details released on Friday’s stabbings

EL CENTRO — Friday morning’s stabbings, which left two hospitalized, occurred in front of McDonald’s and Smart & Final on North Imperial Avenue, El Centro Police Department call logs stated.

Both victims were transported to El Centro Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Initial reports suggest that the victim at Smart & Final, who was eventually flown out to Desert Regional Medical Center, was stabbed from behind, as the victim sustained a small laceration to the back.

No further information on the McDonald’s victim was immediately available.

While ECPD confirmed the individual who stabbed both victims was arrested Friday, the suspect’s identity has yet to be released.

In the call logs, the suspect was described as a white male adult in his mid-30s with red hair. It was mentioned that he was wearing a dark sweatshirt, sunglasses and blue shorts.

A McDonald’s employee told police the suspect “is there every day.” Witness reports mentioned that he was possibly 5-foot-4 and possibly a transient.

The two stabbings occurred approximately 50 minutes apart from each other within the 300 to 600 blocks of Imperial Avenue.

The first victim said he was walking near McDonald’s approximately 9:15 a.m., when he was stabbed once by a subject for no apparent reason.

While the victim did see the suspect holding an object, he said did not know what he was exactly stabbed with.

After the stabbing, the victim saw the subject go back to McDonald’s.

ECPD made contact with the victim once he was checked into ECRMC.

At 10:02 a.m., ECPD received a report of an employee who was just stabbed by a subject in front of Smart & Final.

The stabbing was said to have occurred by the water machine north of the building.

After the stabbing, the victim went into Smart & Final, where fire and police personnel responded to provide assistance.

By 10:05 a.m., ECPD had located and detained the suspect across the street from Smart & Final in the parking lot of Vons.

Primary evidence indicates both assaults were unprovoked and the victims had no prior relationship with the suspect, ECPD stated in a press release.