LAKEPORT — A Friday night stabbing at Library Park left one man hospitalized with serious injuries. Lakeport Police arrested five suspects in what witnesses sitting outside at the adjoining TNT On The Lake restaurant said appeared to be a gang-style attack.
Five Lakeport males — two adults and three minors — were arrested late Friday night on miscellaneous charges of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder, all with an enhancement alleging the suspects were members of a street gang.
“We believe that the motivation for the attack was that the gang members believe that the victim was from a rival gang,” said Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke Monday morning. “Whether he is or not is yet to be determined.”
The victim was identified as Alex Larranaga, 19, of Clearlake Oaks.
A 911 placed shortly before 8 p.m. by a witness sitting outside at TNT On The Lake brought three LPD units, three Lake County Sheriff”s Office units and two California Highway Patrol units to the scene.
According to a preliminary LPD report, Larranaga was initially taken by a Lakeport Fire Department medical unit to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, and “due to the seriousness of his injuries” was later air lifted by R.E.A.C.H. to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
Larranaga”s mother Sheryl Swank of Clearlake Oaks told the Record-Bee Monday morning that he is in the hospital”s Intensive Care Unit with seven stab wounds and a collapsed lung.
The two adult suspects are identified as Ricardo Muniz, age 18 of Lakeport and Elias Hernandez, age 19, also of Lakeport. Muniz is charged with attempted murder with the criminal street gang enhancement, meaning that he is charged with the actual stabbing. Hernandez is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder, as are the minors arrested in connection with the incident, all with the criminal gang enhancement to add jail time.
The names of the minors arrested could not be released.
“The facts really justify the charges we booked them for, and the D.A. makes the decision regarding what”s in best interests of the people and what is best to charge them with,” said Burke. “We booked them for everything we believe is applicable.”
District Attorney Jon Hopkins said former District Attorney Gary Luck has been brought in to prosecute the case on an extra help basis. “It”s a very serious matter and we”re not taking it lightly,” said Hopkins.
The two adult detainees are scheduled for arraignment today at 1:15 on the fourth floor of Lakeport”s courthouse. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
