TURLOCK – Police arrested a juvenile male on attempted homicide and hate crime charges after an attack on a homeless person at a park Tuesday afternoon.
At about 3:00pm officers with Turlock Police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at Columbia Park. Arriving officers located the victim, a homeless man, who had fled the park and suffered stab wounds. Police then located two people fighting in the park, one of them matching the description of the suspect. Both were detained.
Officers determined the male juvenile suspect approached the victim at the park and told him to leave. Police said the demand was based on the victim’s ethnicity. The victim began to leave, but the suspect attacked him with a knife.
Police also learned that the other man who was fighting with the suspect at the park had intervened in the attack, allowing the victim time to escape. He was released by officers.
The victim was treated for his injuries at the scene. The suspect was positively identified and medically cleared for booking at Juvenile Hall. He was charged with attempted homicide and hate crime. Officers were able to recover the knife used at the scene.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Turlock Police at (209) 668-5550 extension 6780, or Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636 where callers can remain anonymous.
