A 31-year-old Orange County-based gang member has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a teenage girl.
The stabbing occurred around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Shalimar Drive in Costa Mesa, according to a Costa Mesa Police Department media release. The address given by police is a residential area located off Pomona Avenue in the city’s downtown area.
Arriving first responders got to the area and found the young girl on the ground with a stab wound described as “life-threatening.”
“Officers and paramedics started life-saving efforts, including CPR, and quickly transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where she died a couple of hours later as a result of her injuries,” the CMPD release stated. “The victim’s name has been withheld due to her age and the nature of the investigation.”
A probe into the deadly incident was quickly launched, and detectives determined it was gang-related. The suspect, 31-year-old Matthew Juarez, was eventually located at his Anaheim residence and arrested on the same day of the stabbing.
Authorities did not state if there was a relationship or connection between Juarez and the teenage victim or anyone she may have known.
The investigation into the stabbing remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact CMPD Detective Peralta at 714-754-5039 or Investigator Molina at 714-754-5694.
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