A mother and her two sons, including an 11-year-old, were stabbed Tuesday in Costa Mesa and police had the suspect in custody. Photo via OnScene.TV.
A 20-year-old man suspected of stabbing a mother and her two sons, including an 11-year-old, during a burglary in Costa Mesa was charged Thursday with attempted murder.
Israel Larios Jr. of Costa Mesa was charged in Superior Court in Santa Ana with three felony counts each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and one felony count each of residential burglary and making criminal threats, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to an apartment complex in the 1900 block of Wallace Avenue, where they found the mother and her children in their home suffering from stab wounds, according to Costa Mesa Police Department Lt. Greg Scott.
All three were rushed to nearby hospitals, Scott said.
Police did not release the age of the other son but a report from the scene indicated he was 17 years old.
According to prosecutors, Larios entered the victims’ residence with the intention of committing a theft, but when they came home, he threatened to kill them with a knife.
“He is accused of stabbing the victims as they attempted to flee the residence,” according to Roxi Fyad of the District Attorney’s Office. “Neighbors witnessed the attack and called 911.”
When officers arrived, neighbors identified Larios as the attacker and he was arrested after a short chase, Fyad said.
Larios allegedly had a knife and property taken from the victims’ home when he was apprehended.
The victims were were expected to survive their injuries, according to Costa Mesa police, who reported that one officer sustained a minor injury while placing Larios under arrest.
—City News Service
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