CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / VICTORVILLE

A man under the influence of drugs and alcohol slashed his three children with a box cutter early Tuesday after chasing their mother from a hotel room, police said.

Esteban Saracho, 29, nearly severed one of his children’s fingers in the attack and left them with “several lacerations to their face, head or neck and their hands,” according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The incident occurred at 1:40 a.m. at the Red Roof Inn on Mariposa Road.

Saracho had chased his girlfriend out of their hotel room and threatened her when she hid behind another couple. Saracho locked himself in his room with his children -- ages 7 months, 3 and 5.

Deputies arrived and broke into the room through a window and shot Saracho with “multiple nonlethal beanbag rounds” and a Taser gun “several times” when he resisted arrest, deputies said.

The two oldest children were airlifted to a hospital in Loma Linda, and the youngest was taken there by ambulance.

The mother joined the children at the hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

Saracho was booked on three counts of attempted murder, assault and aggravated mayhem.

He was also booked on an unrelated outstanding warrant for misdemeanor domestic violence and failure to appear in court.

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz