5 charged in a stabbing that police say started as a gang fight at a Burbank park

Five people — including a 23-year-old stabbing victim — were charged in connection with what police said was a gang fight that started at a Burbank park last week.

Police believe the stabbing victim, identified as Burbank resident Ricardo Ramirez, and his associate Maximo de los Santos Jr., 21, instigated the fight with a rival gang.

Ramirez sustained multiple stab wounds in his neck, head and torso and remains hospitalized, according to Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco.

Someone called police Wednesday after seeing Ramirez, who was bleeding from his neck, and De Los Santos walking toward Burbank Fire Station No. 12 in the 600 block of Hollywood Way.

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The fight, meanwhile, had started more than two miles away at Robert Lundigan Park and had continued onto the 1800 block of Buena Vista Street.

From the two crime scenes, police reportedly recovered a bloody knife and a baseball bat.

Both Ramirez and De Los Santos, along with another man, 22-year-old Cesar Ramirez, of Sun Valley, were charged with fighting in public with a special allegation that it was for the benefit of a gang, Losacco said.

Paul Melendez, 24, of Sun Valley and Joshua Pimentel, 30, of Burbank were charged with misdemeanor counts of fighting in public with a special allegation that it was for the benefit of a gang.

Alene Tchekmedyian writes for Times Community News.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

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