A Hollister man was stabbed nine times Saturday night in an apartment courtyard on Valley View Road in what police reported was the first serious gang violence of 2008.
Authorities believe three Watsonville men, all suspected Norteño gang members, were behind the stabbing, but there is no description of the suspects, said officer Rosie Betanio, spokeswoman for the Hollister Police Department.
Officers responded at 7:25 p.m. Saturday to the apartments in the 1500 block of Valley View Road, police said.
Upon arrival, officers found a 30-year-old man, who is also a suspected Norteño gang member, with what Betanio described as serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Investigators believe the man had been in a relationship with a woman living at the apartment and that they were separating, Betanio said. The woman was associated with the three suspected Watsonville Norteños who officers believe confronted the victim in the courtyard.
The man was stabbed six times on the left side of his back and once each to the left side of his neck and face, police reported. He also suffered a minor cut to the back of his right shoulder, police said.
Medical personnel took the man to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for treatment, Betanio said.
Hollister police officers are investigating the stabbing and haven't made any arrests.
Betanio said witnesses were cooperative with investigators.
"There were also a lot of people who were not home," Betanio said.
Anyone with information about the suspected crime should contact the Hollister Police Department at (831) 636-4330.
Michael Van Cassell Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335.
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