Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Second Man Sought For Stabbing Outside Of Ventura County Mosque Arrested

Police arrested the second man being sought in connection with what investigators call the hate crime stabbing of a man at a Ventura County mosque.

Simi Valley Police detectives, and a SWAT team arrested Marco De la Cruz at a home on the 1500 block of Kearney Avenue early this morning. The 26 year old man was arrested without incident on four counts ranging from assault with a deadly weapon to making criminal threats. Detectives say he is a gang member with a long criminal history.

Investigators say on Saturday night, De la Cruz and John Matteson approached people leaving a mosque on Erringer Road in Simi Valley. The men asked to use a rest room, and after being told the mosque was closed, witnesses say the duo began making racist comments, and started a fight.

Detectives believe De la Cruz then stabbed one of the victims. The man suffered a non-life threatening injury. Matteson was arrested right after the attack.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
Related Stories