CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

The Dodgers home opener against the San Francisco Giants was marred by violence Monday afternoon when a man was stabbed multiple times after getting into an argument with several men in a pickup truck, Los Angeles police said.

The stabbing was reported at 5:43 p.m. in parking lot 6 at Dodger Stadium, said Officer Karen Rayner. The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in serious condition.

Police were searching for the assailant, who left with two others in a black pickup truck, Rayner said. “Officers have a good description of the vehicle and the suspects, and we expect to make arrests,” she said.

About the same time, police received a report of a man with a gun in parking lot 4. Rayner said police later determined that the man had been vandalizing cars and believe he was unarmed. He left before officers arrived. Despite scattered incidents of violence at the stadium, there have been no cases of major violence in recent years.

Complaints about unruly fans continue, and the stadium has a history of problems that critics have blamed on lax security.

In 2003, Marc Antenorcruz of West Covina was walking out of the stadium after a game when he got into an argument with a group that included Pete Marron. Marron was later convicted of shooting Antenorcruz to death.

Fan misbehavior stemming from a club promotion early in the 2005 season led the Dodgers to hire uniformed L.A. police officers to patrol the stands.

-- Andrew Blankstein