A “verbal argument” between a man walking his dog and a neighbor led to a report of a stabbing, according to a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station investigation.
Around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, the alleged victim was walking his dog on Ficus Drive in Newhall, according to a statement from the SCV Sheriff’s Station detective in support of a search warrant.
The suspect and the victim got into a verbal argument, which escalated and resulted in a stabbing, according to the request to search the suspect’s home.
The suspect then reportedly ran home to his nearby residence on Sweetshade Lane.
The victim walked back to his residence and then told his father he needed to go to the hospital, and he was taken there by family members, who reported that he lost consciousness on the way.
Station officials said the suspect was identified as Wilmar Gonzalez, a 33-year-old man who station officials said also went by “Diablo.”
A family member of the victim responded to the suspect’s home and contacted deputies, according to the detective’s report of his investigation.
While deputies were interviewing the man who contacted them, the suspect exited his home and started talking to deputies from the balcony. The suspect said he wasn’t coming down and started cursing at the deputies.
The two parties knew each other, because they’ve been neighbors for approximately 10 years, and the alleged victim’s family member was able to easily identify the suspect, according to the search-warrant affidavit.
A return of the search warrant filled out on Oct. 30 indicated that no items were seized from the suspect’s home.
Gonzalez was scheduled for a preliminary arraignment Tuesday at the San Fernando Courthouse, according to L.A. County Sheriff’s Department custody records available online. The arraignment would be Gonzalez’s first opportunity to enter a plea to any charges. The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office did not have any charging information available as of this story’s publication.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the SCV Sheriff’s Station at 661-260-4000. Anyone who would prefer to provide information anonymously, can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use a smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.
