11-year-old found safe. Father, suspect in Motel 6 stabbing, still at large
An 11-year-old boy taken by his father after the man stabbed the child’s mother was found safe Sunday afternoon, Modesto police said. As of midafternoon, the suspect, Walter Fernando Zuniga Lara, remained at large.
At the time of The Modesto Bee’s print deadline, police had not released any information on the circumstances of the child’s recovery, including whether he was found within Stanislaus County.
An Amber Alert was issued early Sunday morning for Adler Lopez Lara of Modesto after he was taken by his father, who police say stabbed the boy’s mother in a Motel 6 parking lot on West Orangeburg Avenue on Saturday night.
The child was not at the motel at the time his mother was stabbed, police spokeswoman Sharon Bear said. His father located him after the incident, which left the woman in critical condition.
The elder Lara initially was driving a silver BMW with rear-end damage, according to police. But about 9:30 a.m. Sunday, an update from the Modesto Police Department said the suspect no longer is believed to be driving that car. About 1 p.m., police said Adler was OK.
It was about 9 p.m. Saturday when police were dispatched to the Motel 6 on the report of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they found the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds, Lt. Chris Adams said.
A witness told police the woman walked toward the lobby after she was stabbed, but it was unclear what had happened beforehand.
The alert was issued hours after police were called to the motel.
Anyone who sees Walter Lara should call 911.
This story was originally published July 4, 2021 at 6:41 AM.
