Monterey County deputies arrest suspect in deadly Castroville stabbing

A Monterey man has been arrested in connection with the deadly stabbing of a 30-year-old man in Castroville over the weekend, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Deputies were called just after 2 a.m. Sunday to the area of Merritt and Preston streets, the sheriff's office said, where they found a man suffering from an apparent stab wound.

Flores Ruiz, 30, of Seaside, was taken to a hospital after being treated at the scene but later died.

Detectives later identified 28-year-old Robert Lee Jeffrey of Monterey as a suspect.

Around 5 p.m. Sunday, investigators spotted Jeffrey on Hannon Avenue in Monterey and arrested him without incident. He was booked into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $1.02 million.

The sheriff's office has not said what investigators believe led to the stabbing or whether Jeffrey and Flores Ruiz knew each other.

Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed or heard anything around Merritt and Preston streets early Sunday to contact investigators.

Residents and businesses in the area are also being asked to check surveillance and doorbell-camera footage for anything that could help with the case.