A 40-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on attempted-murder charges stemming from an attack that occurred early last year on the city’s Westside, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Jose Alejandro Perez of Santa Barbara is accused of stabbing a 34-year-old man on Feb. 22, 2013, in the 300 block of West Arrellaga Street, said Sgt. Riley Harwood.
“Investigation … by detectives Michael Claytor and Brian Larson identified Perez as the suspect in this case, and revealed that the victim was a former neighbor of Perez and a friend of Perez’s estranged wife’s family,” Harwood said.
“On the morning of the incident, the victim was riding a scooter out of his driveway when he was approached by Perez, knocked down, and stabbed.”
The attack was unprovoked, Harwood said, adding that the victim was treated for non-life threatening stab wounds.
Perez is a gang member, Harwood said, but the attack was not believed to be gang-related.
A Santa Barbara officer leaving the Superior Court in the 100 block of East Figueroa Street saw Perez get off an MTD bus shortly before noon Wednesday.
“The officer contacted Perez and tried to arrest him for his warrant,” Harwood said. “Perez resisted being handcuffed, fighting with the officer. Perez was taken into custody when additional SBPD officers and a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputy responded to assist.”
Perez was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on a warrant for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon , Harwood said. Bail was set at $500,000. He was also booked on an additional misdemeanor charge of resisting or delaying an officer with a bail amount of $2,500
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.