1 Dead, 1 Hurt : Fired Worker Sought After Pair Stabbed

Two employees of a Tustin chemical manufacturer were stabbed Friday--one of them fatally--when they called in a laboratory technician to fire him, police said.

Tustin police said the employee “became irate and violent” shortly after 4 p.m. Friday when he heard the news and eventually attacked both men with a knife. He was being sought by police late Friday.

Ronald R. Gorby, 52, of Tustin was dead on arrival at Western Medical Center shortly before 4:30 p.m. John R. Wolcott, 60, was in stable condition with stab wounds to the face and neck.

‘Couple of Leads’

The suspect, who company officials said had been a Dyna-Chem Inc. employee for about five years, was identified as Ivory Joe Valentine, 31.

“We have a couple of leads on where he might be going to, and we’ve alerted other police agencies to keep a lookout for him,” but police are also seeking the public’s help, said police spokeswoman Martha Henson. Valentine is black, about 6 feet tall and was last seen driving a black 1975 Dodge Charger, license 094 MKQ.

Dyna-Chem President Vern Ownbey said the victims were a supervisor and the company personnel director.

The suspect “was being terminated for his performance on the job,” Ownbey said, but neither he nor police would disclose specific reasons for the termination.

Extra security guards and police patrols were called into the plant Friday night “just as a precaution,” Ownbey added.