A man was fatally stabbed in the parking lot of a Temecula Walmart on Wednesday, possibly in a dispute over a parking space, though the circumstances were unclear.
"People are telling us it was a parking dispute; others are saying it was road rage. Our investigators are trying to find out what happened," Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Mike Vasquez told City News Service.
The attack happened about 12:15 p.m. on the east side of the Walmart at 32225 Temecula Parkway.
According to Vasquez, the victim, whose identity was not immediately released, was stabbed at least once and collapsed. The man was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The victim was identified as 19-year-old Kevin Rodriguez. He and his girlfriend were at the store before heading to a belated birthday dinner for the victim's father. Rodriguez's girlfriend notified his parents of the stabbing.
"It's very hard," the victim's mother, Traci Rodriguez, said. "My son was a good boy. He has lots of friends. I miss him so much."
Vasquez said the alleged perpetrator, identified only as an adult male, was detained without incident, along with several other people who were with him.
Local
The Walmart remained open for business, although investigators cordoned off a section of the parking area to collect and process evidence.
"We're speaking to witnesses inside and outside the store and looking at security camera tape as part of the investigation," Vasquez said.
If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe account set up to help funeral costs for Kevin Rodriguez, you may do so here. Note that GoFundMe deducts 7.9 percent of all funds raised in the form of platform and payment processing charges.
