By SEAN JANSSEN
The Union Democrat
A father and son were stabbed to death, and two other people were injured, following a fight off Stanislaus Avenue in Angels Camp on Thursday night.
The victims, identified as Pablo Lopez Sr. and Pablo Lopez Jr., died before they could be transported to a hospital, said Angels Police Chief Dave Mendenhall. One of the injured, identified only as a 15-year-old boy, was treated at Mark Twain-St. Joesph's Hospital and released. Mendenhall said the fourth stabbing victim suffered only very minor injuries.
One man, Delfino Flores Cruz, 28, of Angels Camp, was booked into Calaveras County Jail at 1:20 a.m. Friday, charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Mendenhall said four more suspects fled the scene. The chief confirmed three of the suspects are Francisco Sanchez, of Murphys, 25 to 30 years old, Juan Torres Flores, 55, of Murphys, and Diego Flores, 23, of an unknown address.
"There are several outstanding suspects," Mendenhall said. "The investigation at this point is to determine who they are and where they might possibly be."
Police responded to a 7:29 p.m. call Thursday, regarding a fight at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Stanislaus Avenue. Four people were wounded, one receiving only minor injuries, Mendenhall said.
"The best information we have is that an altercation took place in the parking lot of the apartment complex," said Sgt. Todd Fordahl of the Angels Camp Police Department.
Mendenhall said a fight in Sonora earlier in the evening may have been linked to the Angels Camp altercation.
Mendenhall, who began work as the city's police chief in January, did not know when the last homicide had occurred within the city. He said, after speaking with a city official who had worked in Angels Camp for 12 years, that he could say no homicides had happened within that time.
In addition to Angels Camp police investigators, Calaveras County Sheriff's Department, Calaveras County District Attorney and California Department of Justice personnel were called to the scene to collect evidence and assist in the investigation.
Police are looking for two vehicles possibly driven by the suspects: a newer model white Ford Mustang and a four-door red Nissan pickup. A bulletin received by the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office indicates they may be fleeing to Mexico.
Of the three named suspects, only one has been physically described by police. Juan Torres Flores is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Contact Sean Janssen at sjanssen@uniondemocrat.com or 736-8097.
