Man held in stabbing was sought on warrant
The man arrested in the stabbing attack that left two people dead and three injured at a San Jose church was on supervised release from jail in a domestic violence case but had failed to comply with the judge’s conditions and was being sought on a warrant, officials said Wednesday.
Fernando Jesus Lopez was homeless and had a history of violent criminal activity, and he was working at Grace Baptist Church on Sunday preparing meals and bedding for other homeless individuals when he allegedly went on the rampage.
Police said the victims were from diverse backgrounds — Vietnamese, African American and Caucasian, but police ruled out that the attack was motivated by bias. Instead, police said, the attack appeared to be random and fueled by drug use. Toxicology tests are pending.
San Jose Police Chief Edgardo Garcia said Wednesday that Lopez is undocumented and could have been turned over to federal immigration authorities under California’s sanctuary law, which allows local authorities to notify
federal immigration agents in cases involving violent offenders. But Santa Clara County did not turn Lopez over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE officials condemned local officials for releasing Lopez from jail and not turning him over for deportation. He had previously been deported three times.
Police said Lopez had previously been sentenced to two years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. He received five years probation and a warrant for two incidents of domestic violence. He had an active warrant in San Joaquin County for failure to comply with the conditions of release in his most recent arrest.
During Wednesday’s news conference, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo expressed frustration that Lopez was released.
“He should have been in jail or federal custody and drug treatment in his own country, but not on the streets in our community,” Liccardo said. “These failed policies are all within our control to change, and we need to change them.”
Liccardo and Garcia pleaded with the community on Wednesday not to hold judgment toward the immigrant and unhoused communities because of the suspect’s alleged actions.
Shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, officers received several 911 calls about stabbings inside the Grace Baptist Church on East San Fernando Street. When they arrived, police saw people fleeing the building. The suspect was apprehended on foot.
Inside the church, officials found five people with at least one stab wound each. A man died at the scene, and a woman was transported to a local hospital where she died of her injuries, police said.
The killings bring the city’s total number of homicides this year to 41.
Three men were transported to local hospitals in serious but stable condition, police said.
Among them was an unidentified San Jose city employee who was volunteering at the church the night of the attack, city officials said Tuesday.
Four of the five victims were unhoused individuals. Officials said they will not release their names.
The church was being used as a shelter for people experiencing homelessness, and church services were not held the night of the incident, officials said.
The Rev. David Robinson said Tuesday that the church community was “deeply saddened by the terrible incident” that took place at its winter homeless shelter, known as Grace Solutions, which operates in the church gymnasium and basement.