Anaheim : Victim of Knife Assault Over Jacket Is Improved

An 18-year-old man was recovering Wednesday from stab wounds suffered when three boys with shaved heads attempted to steal his leather jacket in front of Loara High School, authorities said.

Anaheim police were looking for the three, who are suspected of stabbing the victim in the leg and abdomen about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

A UCI Medical Center spokeswoman identified the victim as Jose Irribarren. He was in fair condition Wednesday after undergoing exploratory abdominal surgery Tuesday night, according to Fran Tardiff.

Police Lt. Marc Hedgpeth said the victim, who is not a Loara student, had just driven up to the school when he was approached by the three. “They accosted him, told him they wanted his jacket, stabbed him and fled,” he said. The suspects--two 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old--also are not students at the school, he said. They did not get the jacket.

Police described the weapon as a “butterfly” knife, which opens with a flick of the wrist. The victim told police that the attackers are “skinhead types,” Hedgpeth said. Skinheads shave their heads and espouse white supremacy. However, there was no evidence in the preliminary stage of the investigation that the attack had ethnic overtones, he said.

Loara Principal Gerald Glenn said the attack occurred nearly an hour after classes had finished for the day, and there were few people on the campus. Security is not being beefed up after the attack, which he said was the first of its kind to occur at the school.

Hedgpeth said Anaheim police “have had experiences in the past with some people in this area described as ‘skinheads,’ but as to whether this is an organized group, I don’t know.”