Hemet Triple-Stabbing Suspect Nabbed in L.A., Jailed in Banning

A man suspected of seeking out and stabbing three people in Hemet has been arrested and booked into the Banning jail, police said Friday.

28-year-old Johnathan Marquez, of Moreno Valley, is accused of first kicking open the front door to a home in the area of State Street and Florida Ave., and then stabbing a man and woman inside, according to Police Lieutenant Eric Dickson.

"Both victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital and are expected to recover," he said.

Then, about twenty minutes later at 11:50 a.m., another stabbing victim showed up at the ER in Hemet Valley Medical Center.

"The victim of this incident was approached in an alleyway by the suspect, and stabbed multiple times," Dickson said of the second incident which happened about a half mile away from the first, on Devonshire Ave.  That victim was also expected to survive.

Caught in Los Angeles

All three stabbing victims provided a similar vehicle description, and police shared that with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state, the lieutenant said.  By 4:30 p.m., a vehicle matching the given description– a white car that had been reported stolen earlier in the day– was spotted by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies working out of the Compton station, he said.

"The deputies detained the driver of the vehicle and Hemet Police Detectives responded to arrest the suspect," Dickson said.  "The suspect was returned to Hemet where the investigation continued. Ultimately the suspect was charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of theft a vehicle."

Marquez was taken to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, and booked on the above charges.  According to Dickson, police requested bail of $3 million, but records indicated he was being held on $1 million.

Police praised the teamwork that helped catch the suspected stabber. 

"This was another great example of what can be accomplished through the collaborative efforts of citizens and multiple law enforcement agencies," the lieutenant said.