Stabbed in a bakery, he stumbles into Riverbank City Hall for help

An employee of a bakery in Riverbank was stabbed in the stomach Thursday afternoon then ran to City Hall a block away to get help. Government employees kept him safe until medical care arrived.

The stabbing occurred at the Cobblestone Bakery at 6601 3rd Street where the man works. The victim was standing outside of the bakery when the suspect approached him. The suspect walked into the business and the victim followed him. There was a brief argument and the suspect stabbed the victim one time in the stomach. Both the suspect and the victim ran from the business.

The victim went to the city hall building best known for handling people’s utility bills at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. He was put in a conference room as police, firefighters and an ambulance rushed to help.

“Everyone here was obviously shaken up by the experience,” said City Manager Sean Scully. He did not know the extent of the man’s injuries but said he appeared to be conscious.

“People were happy that a number of staff jumped to assist and get him the help he needed,” Scully added. “Now it’s in the hands of the Sheriff’s Department to sort the rest out.”

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department provides police services under contract to Riverbank and some other cities.

The office at 6617 Third St. also houses city planning, engineering and finance divisions.

Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect, described only as Latino.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Detective Steven Nunes at 209-869-7162. You can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus the message and be eligible for a cash reward

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Stabbed in a bakery, he stumbles into Riverbank City Hall for help."