Behind the Badge
Three men have been arrested and charged with chasing and stabbing a man last month who had confronted them while they were tagging a vacant building, the Anaheim PD said in a news release.
A fourth suspect remains at large.
Police are asking for the public’s help in finding suspect Jacob Antonio Weiss, 22, of Anaheim. Weiss is suspected of committing the vandalism and initiating the assault on the victim at about 9:30 p.m. on July 26 in the 100 block of S. Stinson Street, the APD said in a news release.
There is a $1 million attempted murder warrant for Weiss’ arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS or by email to www.occrimestoppers.org. Callers may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
Arrested and charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with attempted murder, aggravated mayhem and street terrorism are:
(From left) Fernando Zarate, Alfredo Villegas and Andrew Morales. APD photo.
— Fernando Zarate, 26, Buena Park. Zarate was arrested Aug. 7 after an interview at the Anaheim Police Department. He remains in custody at Orange County Jail in lieu of $1,015,000 bail.
— Alfredo Gabriel Villegas, 25, Los Alamitos. Villegas was arrested Aug. 11 after turning himself in at the Anaheim Police Department. He remains in custody at Orange County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
— Andrew Steven Morales, 25, Anaheim. Morales was arrested Aug. 11 after a traffic stop in Anaheim. He remains in custody at Orange County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
The 51-year-old victim, who has not been publicly identified by police, was stabbed after he confronted a group of suspects who were committing graffiti vandalism, police said.
Although he survived the stabbing, the victim suffered a “life-altering injury” as a result of the stabbing, according to the news release. Several media outlets have identified the victim as a homeless man named James Blue, who reportedly is paralyzed after his spinal cord was severed.
