5 Arrested in Stabbing Death of Torrance Man

Torrance police arrested five people Friday and Saturday in the stabbing death of a Torrance man in his home, and said they expect more arrests.

William Smith, 39, was attacked in his home in the 3900 block of 171st Street before dawn Friday, and was pronounced dead from stab wounds at Little Company of Mary Hospital, police said.

California Highway Patrol officers Friday arrested Gary Jose Alderete, 21, of Torrance as he was running along the northbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway about a mile from Smith’s house.

Torrance Police Lt. Mike Tamble said homicide detectives arrested four others Friday and early Saturday morning on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Tamble said the stabbing was apparently planned by the suspects after Smith fought with one of the arrested men earlier this week, but he did not elaborate.

Arrested were Michael Patrick Grace, 21, of Carson; Stacy Noelle James, 20, of Torrance; Alexander Vincent Frederick, 22, of Gardena, and Richard Allen Grace, 23, of Gardena. All five are being held without bail at the Torrance police station.

Tamble said the investigation is continuing and police expect to make more arrests in the case.

A “blade-type weapon” was recovered at the scene, and evidence pointing to a conspiracy to kill Smith was taken from one suspect’s house Friday, Tamble said.

Neighbors of Smith said Saturday that he and his common-law wife, Cathy Mazzoni, who called police, had lived in the neighborhood about two months.