Stabbings of mom and 2 sons put Costa Mesa neighborhood on edge
The stabbings of a mother and her two sons during a burglary last week on Wallace Avenue have made some Costa Mesa residents worried about their safety.
The 39-year-old woman and the 17- and 11-year-old boys were attacked the night of Oct. 18 after they walked in on a burglary at their home in an apartment complex in the 1900 block of Wallace, police said.
The mother and the elder son were released from Orange County Global Medical Center two days later. The 11-year-old underwent surgery at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and was released Monday, Costa Mesa police Lt. Paul Beckman said.
Israel Larios Jr., 20, of Costa Mesa was arrested near the scene the night of the stabbings and was booked into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana with bail set at $1.52 million.
Anthony Wagner, who has lived on Wallace Avenue for two months, said he was on his balcony the night of Oct. 18 when he heard a woman shouting, “Oh my God.”
Wagner watched as the stabbing victims were wheeled on gurneys to ambulances.
Wagner said he doesn’t feel comfortable in the neighborhood after the traumatic incident.
Another resident echoed Wagner’s sentiments.
“I don’t feel safe,” said the woman, who has lived on Wallace Avenue for six years. “I thought it was a safe neighborhood when I moved in, but it has gotten worse and worse.”
The woman, who did not want to be identified because of her fear for her safety, said a man tried to break into her home through a window in June, but she was able to scare him off.
She said one of the boys being taken to an ambulance the night of the stabbings was in “great pain.”
She said she fears for her own children.
Other residents said they were jarred by the incident because the area is not accustomed to crime.
“So far I have never seen anything like what happened that night,” said Lupe Green, a two-year Wallace resident.
“It’s usually quiet here,” said Linda Akin, a six-year resident. “I think this was just a random act.”
The suspect, Larios, attended Estancia High School in Costa Mesa and played defensive tackle for the school football team, according to Estancia football coach Michael Bargas.
Larios graduated in 2014, according to high school sports website hudl.com.
He has been charged with three felony counts of attempted murder, three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of residential burglary, one felony count of criminal threats and a possible sentencing enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
Larios could face a maximum sentence of 21 years in state prison if convicted.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 18 at Central Jail Court in Santa Ana.
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