Behind the Badge
Westminster police on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of robbing a 64-year-old woman, stabbing her multiple times, then attempting to evade police by running across the 405 freeway.
Police at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, responded to reports of a stabbing in the 14600 block of Goldenwest Street.
A 53-year-old man walked into the leasing business, threatened the victim with a knife and demanded money.
The woman initially refused and the suspect, who police said has a violent criminal history, stabbed her multiple times in the upper body.
A nearby witness heard the commotion, interrupted the attack then called police.
Officers arrived within two minutes and saw the man running southbound on Goldenwest Street toward the freeway overpass.
Responding officers chased the man to the overpass, and the suspect then ran down the ice plant-covered hill and onto the southbound 405 freeway, police said.
Dodging traffic and nearly getting hit by cars several times, the suspect ran across the entire freeway where he was met with more Westminster police officers who had staged on the opposite side of the 405 during the foot pursuit.
Seeing the officers in front of him, the suspect surrendered to police and was taken into custody.
Police later recovered the knife and an undisclosed amount of cash the suspect had stolen from the business.
The woman was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive her injuries, police said.
The suspect, identified as Jose Raul Heredia-Patron, a transient, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.
