Modesto police arrest homeless man in Enslen Park stabbing

Bee Staff Reports

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

Modesto police today arrested a homeless man in the stabbing of another homeless man in Enslen Park.

Sgt. Craig Plante said Brett Bisnett, 28, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was being held this evening at the Stanislaus County Jail on $20,000 bail, according to the jail Web site.

Plante said Bisnett was arguing heatedly with another homeless man in the park around noon when a third homeless man intervened and asked Bisnett to calm down. Plante said Bisnett stabbed the third man in the stomach with a knife with a four-inch blade before pedaling away on a black mountain bike.

Plante identified the victim as Derrick Dean, 33. He said Dean was taken to a Modesto hospital were he was undergoing surgery this afternoon, though his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Plante said an officer with the department's Crime Reduction Team spotted Bisnett around 1:30 p.m. at Seventh and L streets, detained him, patted him down and found a pocket knife with blood on the blade. Plante said Dean and the second homeless man in the park identified Bisnett through a photo lineup.

Plante said Bisnett declined to give police a statement.

Plante said the Crime Reduction Team was formed in the last couple of weeks to work with the homeless and handle graffiti and nuisance crimes that affect residents' quality of life. Plante said the officer knew Bisnett through his work with the team.