A suspect arrested in the stabbing of an off-duty Fullerton police officer in Placentia has been cleared and released from custody.
James Carrera, 19, of Placentia was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the southwest corner of Kraemer and Yorba Linda boulevards, Placentia police said.
The officer was conducting personal business in a strip mall when someone attacked him with a sharp object and fled on foot, police said.
“The ongoing investigation has now cleared the subject who had been arrested, James Carrera,” police said. “The suspect responsible for the crime remains at large.”
The police officer was treated for injuries described as serious but not life-threatening and has since been released from the hospital, Placentia police said.
Investigators described the attacker as Latino in his late teens or early 20s, with a thin build. He had short, black hair and wore a baggie, black T-shirt.
A motive for the attack was unknown, police said.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Placentia police at (714) 993-8146. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227.