‘Duped’ Church Held Fatal Party, Police Say : Crime: Anti-violence dance for which Anaheim gym was rented turned out to be a flyer-promoted underground affair. A 16-year-old was stabbed to death.

A church that rented its gym for what was billed as a community dance was tricked into holding a crowded underground party at which a Stanton youth was stabbed to death, police said Monday.

Edgar Francisco Aviles, 16, and Artemio Saldana, 20, both of Fontana, were arrested Monday on suspicion of murder in connection with the stabbing death of Alejandro Lopez, 16, as the party at Zion Lutheran Church drew to a close just after midnight Sunday, said Lt. Vince Howard.

The two suspects may have been attracted to the church gym in the 200 block of North East Street by flyers that were circulated around local high schools announcing the party, unbeknown to the parishioners, Howard said.

“The church just got duped,” Howard said. “It was a typical flyer party. No alcohol was served, and there was some security, but it was a flyer party just like the underground ones.”

When members of the congregation arrived at the church Sunday morning, yellow police ribbon surrounded the crime scene and the pastors told them what had happened the night before, said parishioner Karen Cummings. A pancake breakfast and a meeting scheduled for the parish hall were postponed because of the incident, she said.

But Cummings and witnesses disagreed that the church was tricked in any way. The church has strict rules about renting its facilities, and the party promoters promised to abide by them, said Cummings, 46, a member of the church congregation since 1959.

“This was just an unfortunate incident that happened,” Cummings said. “Our church was approached by a group to have a dance, and during the dance another group showed up and there was an incident. We weren’t stupid about it. It could have happened anywhere.”

An Anaheim woman whose daughters, ages 17 and 14, attended the party said they told her that everything was peaceful until the victim just collapsed on the floor. There was no brawl preceding the stabbing and the scene was that of a typical high school dance with a disc jockey, her daughters reported.

The victim, according to them, “just kind of fell over,” said the woman, whose daughters attend Katella High School, where the flyers announcing the party were distributed. She said that she and her husband had driven by the party at 9:30 p.m. and that there were people standing around outside but all appeared safe.

Cummings said the group that rented the gym offered tight security and a “Stop the Violence” theme for the dance party and even promised to help the church food drive by offering $2 off the party’s $10 admission price to anyone who brought a can of food. The 90-year-old church is attempting to reach out to the community and offer youths a place to gather, Cummings said.

“We are a permanent part of the community, and we built our fellowship hall to offer to the community,” Cummings said. “This will put a damper on the whole thing.”

But police described the party as another in what they consider a disturbing trend of underground affairs that have been occurring with increasing frequency. Such parties usually are organized at changing locations by “party crews” who advertise through flyers and charge admission, Howard said.