The Anaheim Police Department has arrested three men and a fourth is still at large. They are suspected in the July stabbing of a homeless man. The brutal attack left him permanently paralyzed, according to the O.C. Register.
The homeless man, James Blue, 51-years-old, confronted a group of taggers on July 26, at around 9:30 p.m., as they were tagging several local businesses. The four suspects attacked Blue and one of them stabbed him with a sharp object that severed his spinal cord.
The suspects were arrested in early August:
- Fernando Zarate, 26, of Buena Park was arrested Aug. 7 after an interview with Anaheim police. He is being held at Central Men’s Jail on $1,015,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 9.
- Alfredo Gabriel Villegas, 25, of Los Alamitos was arrested after turning himself in to police on Aug. 11. He is being held at Theo Lacy Jail on $1 million bail and is set to appear in court on Friday.
- Andrew Steven Morales, 25, of Anaheim was arrested on Aug. 11 after a traffic stop. He is at Central Men’s Jail on $1 million bail and will be in court Sept. 9.
They have been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with attempted murder, aggravated mayhem and street terrorism.
The fourth suspect, Jacob Antonio Weiss, 22, of Anaheim, remains at large. Police are asking for help from the public to find him. HE is suspected of vandalism and police believe he began the assault on Blue. There is a $1 million attempted murder warrant for his arrest. Anyone with tips about Weiss’ whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS or by email to crimestoppers.org. Tips may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.