Modesto man fatally stabbed in Ceres; suspect arrested

An altercation between two men in south Ceres turned deadly Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the 2500 block of Lynell Avenue in south Ceres at 1:47 p.m. on a report of a stabbing.

When they arrived, deputies found Francisco Padilla, 48, had been stabbed. Padilla was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Deputies on scene detained 53-year-old James Sandoval of Modesto during their initial investigation into the incident,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. “Homicide detectives responded and late Wednesday afternoon Sandoval was identified as the suspect in their investigation.”

Authorities said they are not releasing further information on the incident.

Sandoval was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on a charge of murder. He was being held without bail Wednesday night.

Authorities ask anyone with information on the incident to call Detective Gregory Buck at 209-525-7103.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 9:48 PM with the headline "Modesto man fatally stabbed in Ceres; suspect arrested."