CARLSBAD — A Vista man was arrested and charged in connection with the stabbing of three men during a large brawl that began on a train platform and spilled into the 300 block of Grand Avenue in the early hours of June 19 in Carlsbad.
Officers responding at about 12:14 a.m. found three victims with stab wounds — one to the abdomen, one to the back and a third with multiple wounds to the torso and head — according to the Carlsbad Police Department. All were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
After interviews and additional investigative work through June and July, detectives with the department’s Crimes of Violence Unit identified the suspect as Cesar Cervantes, 26, of Vista. Detectives served an arrest and search warrant at Cervantes’ residence on July 3, taking him into custody without incident.
Cervantes pleaded not guilty July 10 to felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and participation in a criminal street gang, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. He remains in custody without bail.
Cervantes’ next hearing is a preliminary exam readiness conference on Sept. 30 at the Vista Courthouse.
