13-Year-Old Stabbed in Gang Fight

A 13-year-old boy suffered a stab wound to his upper torso during a Thursday afternoon fight that appears to have been gang-related. According to a press release on the incident from City Police spokesperson Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte, officers initially arrived at De La Guerra Plaza after reports of a fight there. The fight – and the officers as well – soon after moved to the space behind the Borders bookstore, 900 State Street, and found three injured boys: the wounded 13-year-old, a 14-year-old sporting an injury to his head and a 15-year-old with an injury to his lip. The first two boys were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment of what Duarte termed non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 5:40 p.m. that same day, investigators looking into the fight arrested a 14-year-old boy for the stabbing. He was booked in to juvenile hall on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and participation into a criminal street gang.

Duarte urged anyone with information about the incident to call detectives at (805) 897-2339.