Stabbing Suspect Reportedly Targets Police Officer at LA Jack in the Box

A suspect was arrested Monday in Santa Clarita, after allegedly stabbing an LA sheriff deputy in a Jack in the Box parking lot. The 21-year-old suspect, Donald Chinchilla, reportedly targeted the unnamed off-duty detective specifically because he was a police office.

First reported by KPCC, the story goes that the detective was exiting the restaurant when approached by Chinchilla. According to sheriff’s department spokesperson Captain Darren Harris, Chinchilla then asked the detective if he worked in law enforcement. After replying yes, Chinchilla promptly stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife, dropped the weapon, and fled the scene.

The detective maneuvered to his parked car to call for help, which resulted in a two-hour manhunt for Chinchilla. The suspect was found hiding in a residential backyard, only a few blocks away from the scene of the crime. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder. As for the detective, he has worked in LA County law enforcement for 26 years. According to authorities, the victim was immediately taken to a hospital, and is expected to survive.

• Off-duty Los Angeles sheriff’s detective stabbed in Jack In The Box parking lot [KPCC]
• Man Steals Kitchen Knives From Hollywood Roosevelt, Stabs Bystander on the Street [ELA]