GARDEN GROVE, CA — A bloody murder spree unfolded in Garden Grove Wednesday night, leaving four dead and two others suffering from stab wounds, according to police. Garden Grove Police arrested a 33-year-old Garden Grove man suspected of stabbing several people in less than two hours at multiple businesses along Harbor Boulevard just blocks from Disneyland.
Zachary Castaneda, the suspect, acted out of “pure hate,” Garden Grove Police Lt. Carl Whitney told KTLA. “We know this guy was full of anger, and he harmed a lot of people” Wednesday night. Investigators continue researching a motive for the attacks.
Garden Grove police Chief Tom DaRe described Castaneda as a “documented gang member” who should have been in prison for prior convictions but was made eligible for release under the AB109 inmate-realignment legislation.
“California law enforcement agencies have been crippled by AB109, and offenders are not being held accountable for their crimes,” DaRe said. “Our community becomes vulnerable when these criminals are released back into our society.”
Several stabbings occurred as police were responding to the previous attack mere blocks away. The suspect was taken into custody by a plain clothes officer as he emerged from a 7-Eleven where he had just stabbed and killed the security guard, stealing his gun, according to police.
Detectives believe the attacks were largely random with motive being robbery. The frenetic pace of robberies and attacks in the area had police chasing a confusing trail of blood, near-misses and seemingly unrelated crimes.
The first stabbings were reported just after 5 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 12100 block of Jentges Avenue in Garden Grove, according Whitney. The stabbings came about an hour after a burglary had been reported at the apartment.
“We believe our two victims in the apartment somehow confronted the suspect and an altercation occurred,” Whitney said. “We’ve learned, so far, that our suspect does reside here in the same apartment complex.”
Two male victims were found, one on the balcony of an apartment and the other inside. The victim inside was pronounced dead at the scene and the one on the balcony was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he too was pronounced dead, Whitney said.
That first set of stabbings occurred as police investigated an armed robbery at a bakery in the 13000 block of Chapman Avenue just a couple blocks away, the lieutenant said.
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No one was injured in the bakery robbery, which was reported about 4:25 p.m. and involved a male suspect possibly armed with a knife and a handgun, Whitney said.
About 5:40 p.m., an armed robbery was reported at a check-cashing business in the 12800 block of Harbor Boulevard, allegedly by the same suspect, who was reported to have been armed with a knife, according to Whitney. No one was injured in that crime, he said.
About 25 minutes later, a female victim was stabbed multiple times during a robbery at an insurance business in the area of Harbor and Garden Grove boulevards. She was conscious and breathing when taken to a hospital, Whitney said, but an update on her condition was not immediately available.
“This female employee was very brave,” Whitney said. “This guy was armed with knives. She fought as best she could against this armed suspect and sustained multiple stab wounds.”
At 6:09 p.m., a male victim who was pumping gas at a Chevron station at Harbor Boulevard and Banner Drive had his nose nearly severed and was also stabbed in the back. He is expected to survive, according to Whitney, who said witness descriptions and cell phone photos matched the suspect and his gray Mercedes-Benz.
Whitney praised all those who helped this victim and assisted officers in identifying the suspect.
“A lot of citizens came forward and rendered aid to the guy with his nose nearly that was nearly severed off,” Whitney said. “They were willing to come forward and help the police department, give us information that was crucial in getting this guy identified and help this guy who was stabbed and sustained serious injuries. The public really stepped up to help this guy.”
About 6:15 p.m., the suspect allegedly fatally stabbed an employee at a Subway sandwich shop in the 3800 block of First Street in Santa Ana before going to a 7-Eleven across the street, where he allegedly stabbed a security guard, fatally wounding him, and cutting his gun and holster from his belt and taking the firearm, Whitney said.
Plainclothes Garden Grove officers spotted the Mercedes outside the 7- Eleven and called for back-up from Santa Ana police before the suspect, who was armed with a knife and a handgun, emerged from the store about a minute later and was taken into custody by the plainclothes officers, Whitney said. The weapons were recovered, he added.
Police said Castaneda and the four slain victims are all Hispanic males and that there was no apparent connection between the suspect and the victims.
“These were random acts of violence — our suspect was not involved with any of the victims,” Whitney said.
With Castaneda in custody, there was no longer a threat to the public, Garden Grove Police Chief Tom DaRe said.