Police: Transient Stabbed Repeatedly After Telling Group Suspected Of Tagging To Stop
ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — Police say a homeless man trying to stop a group from vandalizing a building was repeatedly stabbed in Anaheim.
Officers responded to the 2600 block of West Lincoln Avenue, where the victim was found critically injured Sunday night.
"We're really saddened by it. Very saddened," said Brenda Sutter, an Anaheim resident, when asked about the attack on the man named Blue, who is well-liked.
"They were spraying the wall, and he got out to tell them, 'Stop this,' " she said.
Police said the taggers would have likely killed the Anaheim man had a nearby business owner not fired several gunshots into the air, sending the suspects running.
Security cameras from a nearby building recorded a good look at the suspects, but police are not releasing the video at this time.
"The broader picture is the police department is just one 911 call away, and while we can't get our job done without help from the community, it's always best for them to call us so that we can respond … and make the contact with the suspects," Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.
Detectives say the suspects are still at large.
"Blue cannot walk today, while the people that did this to him are still running around the streets free," Sutter said.
Residents say the victim has been upgraded from critical to serious condition. His wife, who declined an on-camera interview, says he is now paralyzed.
