El Sereno stabbing suspect is charged with murder and attempted murder
David Zapata, 32, has been charged with murder and attempted murder, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced Friday. He could face up to 40 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged,
Zapata is charged for allegedly stabbing two people, one fatally, in separate attacks hours apart in El Sereno on Friday night. He barricaded himself inside an Alhambra home early Wednesday morning for hours before surrendering to police.
The stabbing attacks were on two separate people, at locations a mile and a half apart on Friday. A high school student was killed.
Xavier Chavarin, a 17-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School student, was waiting to be picked up outside King Torta restaurant on the 4500 block of Valley Boulevard in El Sereno at about 4 p.m. Friday.
Police say an unidentified man with long wavy black hair and a long beard approached Chavarin and stabbed him multiple times. Chavarin died inside the restaurant. The suspect fled in a black 1996-2001 Honda CR-V. Police said Thursday the suspect, David Zapata, was not the driver, and were seeking the second person to determine their potential involvement.
Hours later, at about 9 p.m. Friday, investigators believe the same suspect approached a 33-year-old man on the 5400 block of Valley Blvd., about a mile and a half away, and stabbed him several times, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept. Police said the suspect did not say anything to the victim. The suspect fled on a skateboard. The condition of the second victim was not immediately released.
Police said the suspect was last seen wearing black shoes, pants, shirt and a long black jacket. He was seen wearing a black baseball hat with white lettering in the first attack.
Los Angeles and Alhambra police officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant Wednesday morning for David Zapata at a home on Westmont Drive in Alhambra. After a two-hour standoff, David Zapata came out the front door around 9:12 a.m. and walked up to SWAT officers on the street and surrendered.
"Tragically, a family is again mourning the loss of a child to an act of violence," District Attorney Gascón said Friday. "Xavier didn't even have a chance to fulfill his full potential. By all accounts he had a bright future ahead of him before his life was cut short when he was fatally stabbed from behind. Thankfully, Daniel Villalobos was able to fend off the attacker and is recovering in the hospital. My heart goes out to the families of both victims and my office will hold the person accountable for his actions."
