Suspect in Ripon park attack turns himself in. Victim was stabbed over 20 times.
The Manteca man sought in the stabbing of a woman Saturday in her mobile home at Caswell Memorial State Park in Ripon has turned himself in, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday morning.
Juan Chavez, initially identified by the Sheriff’s Office as Joseph Samuel Chavez, showed up at a McDonald’s restaurant in Manteca about 9:30 Tuesday night. A woman there called emergency dispatch to report that Chavez approached her and told her to Google his name, the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
He told the woman he was being sought for the stabbing and wanted to surrender. The woman provided the location to a dispatcher, and deputies responded.
Chavez was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, burglary, false imprisonment, making criminal threats and assault to commit a sexual act.
The Sheriff’s Office received information about 8:20 a.m. Saturday that Chavez entered the woman’s mobile home at the state park on South Austin Road, threatened her and stabbed her multiple times. He then dropped her off at a hospital, authorities said.
“This was no random act of violence,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deputy Andrea Lopez told The Bee in an email Wednesday. “The victim in this case knew Juan Chavez for approximately six weeks. He was trying to date her and she turned down his offers.
“Early Saturday morning, Chavez broke into her trailer (where she lives), stabbed her over 20 times and took her to a local hospital. He has been positively identified (but I am unable to tell you how). The victim is recovering and very lucky to be alive.”
The victim was in critical condition upon arrival at the hospital, but Sunday morning was in stable condition, Lopez said that day.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation said the victim was not the residential camp host at Caswell.
Anyone with information on the crime is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 209-468-4400.
This story was originally published March 6, 2019 at 7:49 AM.
