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Man stabs girlfriend outside Carlsbad Costco, tries to set himself on fire in Temecula, police say

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A man suspected of stabbing his girlfriend in a Carlsbad Costco parking lot poured gasoline on his clothes and attempted to light himself on fire when he was pulled over by the Border Patrol in Temecula on Friday afternoon.

According to Carlsbad police, the stabbing was reported at a Costco near Legoland at 2:47 p.m.

Officers found a woman with multiple stab wounds. The suspect, later identified as 62-year-old Charles Higgins, had fled the scene. An alert was issued to law enforcement agencies in surrounding communities.

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Shortly after 5:40 p.m., Border Patrol agents about 30 miles north in Temecula spotted the man and pulled him over.

Agents said the suspect ignored all verbal commands and poured gasoline on his clothes. They were able to open the driver’s door, knock a lighter out of his hand and remove him from his vehicle.

The man’s clothes were heavily stained with blood, authorities said.

The man and his vehicle were turned over to the Carlsbad Police Department, which is investigating the stabbing case.

The woman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Her condition was not immediately available.

Warth and Dyer write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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