Two people were treated for stab wounds Friday evening after a group of men attacked a vehicle on the city’s Westside in what most likely was a gang-related incident, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
At about 5:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of West Sola Street and San Andres Street for a report that six men were attacking a vehicle with bats and hammers, Lt. Aaron Baker told Noozhawk.
As officers arrived, the attackers scattered, and a person in the vehicle was found to have suffered a stab wound, Baker said.
The victim was taken by AMR ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
A short time later, investigators learned that a second person had shown up at the hospital with a stab wound, he said.
The victims, whose names were not released, are in their late teens or early 20s, Baker said, adding that they are not believed to be gang members.
On Saturday, police arrested two suspects in connection with the incident.
Christian Menth, 22, and Miguel Ascencio, 18, face charges of conspiracy and attempted murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang.
Both men were booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $600,000.
The motive for the attack was unclear, Baker said. Police were looking at the possibility that it was tied to the Westside street gang.
The victims’ conditions were not available, but they were not believed to be life-threatening injuries, Baker said.
— 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.
